Once More, With Feeling
by Spark of Life
Summary: Jou makes a wish that has the whole town singing. But, there are some things that shouldn't be sung, especially when the gang start singing about their inner feelings. SetoKatsuya, MokubaShizuka, HondaOtogi, YuugiAnzu
1. Prologue

Once More, With Feeling (1/6)

Author: Spark of Life

Rating: PG-13

Pairing: Seto/Katsuya, Mokuba/Shizuka, Honda/Otogi, Yuugi/Anzu

Beta: Armageddon Angel (I still don't know why the guy puts up with betaing this. It may have something to do with his scary girlfriend. But seriously, he's a good friend.) 

Spoilers: You will be spoiled with Seto/Katsuya goodness.

Disclaimer: Don't own. It would be better for the sake of humanity that I don't own this. But if I did, there would be a lot more romance, both het and yaoi.

Summary: Jou makes a very strange wish that has all of Domino Town singing. But not every song is fun and games. Some songs reveal one's innermost thoughts.

Author's Note: Allow me to tell you where the inspiration for this fic came from. I was sick with pneumonia during the winter and it really had a toll on my body. The doctor gave me medicine and told me to rest in my bed. I couldn't take finals or do anything but watch TV, leaving my bed only to relieve myself. It was not fun at all. So there I was, watching TV when I change the channel to Buffy. There was nothing on TV if I was stuck watching Buffy. The episode that I was watching was called Once More, With Feeling. Basically, the premise was that a demon has everyone singing, but prolong exposure to this singing would cause them to spontaneously combust. It was a good episode. But, fortunately, the medicine for the pneumonia, which caused me to hallucinate, caused me to see Seto and Katsuya in like a musical. And I thought, "Hey, that's a funny idea." Thus, this is born. I hope you enjoy.

Instructions:

blah, blah, blah normal speech

_song intro, end_

**song, song, song song**

(dance, dance, dance) actions during the song.

And so, with that out of the way, let's begin.

* * *

Once More, With Feeling 

Prologue

So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye

Jou always sang that song at the top of his lungs. The Sound of Music was one of his favorite movie of all time.

It was Movie Weekend at the Game Shop, the sweet weekend after final exams and before the grades were doled out. They brought all of their movies, the genres ranging from drama to comedy and all points in between. Yuugi Motou and his friends, Anzu, Jounouchi, Honda, Otogi, and Shizuka, have joined in the festivities and, after the last exam, have been in the same positions in front of the TV. Mokuba, having convinced his brother to let him veg out with his friends and his girlfriend Shizuka, was also attending Movie Weekend.

Did I tell you that Mokuba and Shizuka were in a relationship? I didn't? How forgetful of me. It was a few weeks ago. They were in the park, each unawares of the other's presence in the place, enjoying the unusual sunny November day. Mokuba was out with his brother, enjoying a day with his brother. His older brother, as CEO of KaibaCorp, didn't take to many days off. But today, Seto completed all of his work so he felt that the company could run sufficiently without his help today.

All of a sudden, Mokuba heard a scream. There was a pretty girl being chased by a dog. It wasn't even a scary pit bull or something. It was a Dalmatian puppy. Mokuba, although he was laughing, decided that it would be a good thing to help the girl out. He ran to the dog and petted it until it rolled over on its back. The girl who would later become his girlfriend came back to thank her savior. It may not have been their first meeting, but when their eyes connected, it was like kismet. There was silence for a while until big, bad elder Kaiba came. Lucky for Mokuba, he had a good memory. And from that one encounter, a now two month relationship had started.

They were the only couple there, but that did not mean that there were others that didn't want to be a couple. Otogi Ryuji stole surreptitious glances at a certain burnet. It was a well-kept secret that he had a tiny, minuscule crush on Honda Hirito. Ok, so it was a full-blown infatuation. But he wasn't sure if the shark-fin played for the other team and rather than risk his friendship, he would keep it a secret. It hurt the dice-master to see Honda look at him only as a friend, but it was much better than if he were looking at him with disgust. It also hurt him that Honda and Jounouchi were close. He envied that kind of closeness and wondered if there was anything beneath the surface.

Honda, unaware of his friend's attraction to him, went about his daily life, oblivious to all of the changes in their group and how everyone was gravitating towards someone.

Yuugi, the reputed King of Games, had his eyes on a particular dancer. However, he wasn't sure if she was attracted to him or the spirit that lived within him. Although he was a freshman, his face still was one not of a teenager, but of a boy. Plus, he didn't have the confidence of his darker self. So rather than make a fool of himself, he would rather keep his affections in secret.

Anzu was trying to figure out who Yuugi was. At times, he is this sweet, fun-loving kid. At other times, especially when he was dueling, it's like he becomes another person. From her observations, it had something to do with his Millennium Puzzle. He was an enigma and that what interested her. But, it almost felt wrong. What would happen if there was a relationship and they break up? It would be awkward. Plus, she wasn't aware of his feelings. And she didn't want to impose her own feelings on Yuugi.

And Yami? Yami was aware of everything. It was fun to have the inside scoop on everyone. So he kept his silence and let everything happen.

So what of Jounouchi? Well, for one thing, he had nothing to worry about because his crush was not here. And who is that, you ask? Well, it would surprise all of his friends that he was kind of attracted to Kaiba Seto.

To clarify, he never hated Kaiba. He just hated when Kaiba treated him as someone inferior. He did have some good qualities, which he only saw when it was directed to his brother. So, the blond Jounouchi knew that the Big, Bad CEO had a heart. It was just a matter of having that heart directed towards him. It was a big gambler, but his deck was constructed in just that manner, so luck was usually on his side.

But that was of no concern today. Today and all weekend was dedicated to movies.

After the end of The Sound of Music, the gang's food supply was dwindling. So it was time for a break before the next movie, Halloween. Just at that time, Seto decided to check in on his little brother. The younger Kaiba put the call on speaker.

"I really love that movie." Jou always said after the end of the movie.

"We all know, Jou." Honda smiled. "You always tell us."

"Wouldn't it be cool if we all broke into song?" The blond sighed.

"Who would want to listen you butcher songs with your howling?" a voice made itself known.

Jou's ears perked up at the familiar annoyance. "That bastard is here? Where is Kaiba?"

Mokuba held up his phone. "Tell that bastard to get bent." The blond turned up his nose at the cell phone.

Kaiba, from his office at KaibaCorp, bit his tongue to keep from laughing. He had to admit that the blond was cute. However, he did not want a relationship with Jounouchi. He just saw him as another piece of ass. Once he got what he wanted, he was gone. But, the CEO knew that the mutt wouldn't want just a sexual relationship. He would want love and affection, just like a puppy. So, there was an impasse. That is why he kept Jounouchi from getting close to him. The insults were a kind of foreplay.

The rest of the conversation was just Kaiba checking on his younger brother.

Jounouchi, after being insulted, decided that he needed some air. It was late, signified by the moon and stars in the sky. He sighed. "I really wish that life was like a musical and everyone would break out into song." The blond wished.

Staring at the sky, he thought he saw two stars blink and other stars arrange into a smile. Jou shook his head. He must be tired. A voice called him from inside the Game Shop. "Jounouchi, the next movie's starting." It was Anzu.

Taking a deep breath, he reentered the Game Shop to get the living crap scared out of him.

He didn't realize that there was someone smiling in the sky. "It's been a while since I had that wish. Let the party begin." With a wave of the hands, purple sparkle dust covered the town of Domino.

* * *

And that's the first chapter. Tell me what you think. 


	2. Act I

Once More, With Feeling (2/6)

Author: Spark of Life

Rating: PG-13

Pairing: Seto/Katsuya, Mokuba/Shizuka, Honda/Otogi, Yuugi/Anzu

Beta: Armageddon Angel (I still don't know why the guy puts up with betaing this. It may have something to do with his scary girlfriend. But seriously, he's a good friend.)

Spoilers: You will be spoiled with Seto/Katsuya goodness.

Disclaimer: Don't own. It would be better for the sake of humanity that I don't own this. But if I did, there would be a lot more romance, both het and yaoi.

Summary: Jou makes a very strange wish that has all of Domino Town singing. But not every song is fun and games. Some songs reveal one's innermost thoughts.

* * *

Chapter 2: Act I 

The bright rays of sunshine started to peek through the window. It is Saturday morning. Apparently, the gang slept through one of the movies. But that's okay since there was still today and tomorrow for movies.

The gang was sleeping in the living room, dressed in pajamas. Mokuba and Shizuka were cuddled up in the loveseat. Honda and Otogi slept on the floor, with the dice-master's hand resting casually on the biker's chest, as if it had been placed there during the tossing and turning of sleep. Yuugi and Anzu were resting against the couch, the young duelist's head against the dancer's neck and her arms wrapped around him. Jounouchi was sprawled up on the couch, curled like a dog.

Since the couch is closest to the window, the sunlight hit the blond's eyes first. He winced at the bright light and then started to blink. Rubbing his eyes and pushing his golden tresses back, Jounouchi sat up and surveyed the living room. All of his friends were still asleep. That's alright.

He could make some eggs for his friends so they could get back to their movie weekend. Before that, he sniffed his underarm and grimaced. First things first, he needed a shower.

With the shower finished and himself in a white shirt and jeans, he went into the fridge and got the 24-egg carton. As quietly as he could, Jounouchi collected two pans and put them on the backburner of the stove. After applying cooking spray, he started to crack the eggs and turn on the stove. The sizzling of the stove started a musical interlude.

* * *

_Good Morning to the World_ (sung as in an orchestra opening number)

/Katsuya/  
**As the sun begins soaring high  
I begin to see the blue sky  
Let the day shine so bright with its warm, glowing light  
As I say to it, "Good morning to the world."**

(He cracked another egg and started to beat them while twirling)

/Katsuya/  
**As my friends are still in their sleep  
I will try to not make a peep  
They're important to me as good friends ought to be  
And I hope that will wake so I can say "Good morning, World"**

(He moves to towards the gang, still sleeping in the living room.)

/Katsuya/  
**Yuugi, he's so brave but short  
Anzu, always there for support  
Honda, been friends since the womb  
Otogi, I'll get him back for that costume**

(Katsuya growled and narrowed his eyes at the dice-master)

**Shizuka, she is my heart  
Mokuba, well, to start  
He's alright but his brother makes me sick  
Kaiba's a … wait, this is just a teen fic.**

(At the sound of Katsuya's singing, the gang starts to wake up, stretching out their limbs to get the sleep kinks out of them.)

/Katsuya/  
**So let my song burst forth  
And let be from henceforth  
May the day go so swell and may it not be like hell  
As my friends and I sing**

/All/  
**Good morning to the world**

* * *

With breakfast made, the gang began to eat in the dining room, each talking about which movie they fell asleep watching.

Jounouchi, however, was confused. Did he just break out into song? That was very weird indeed. He looked at the gang; they were eating contently, as if nothing happened. Perhaps it was just in his imagination. Yeah, that's the ticket. I mean, how could he just break into song and none of the others realize what had happen?

"So, who gets the shower first?" Yuugi asked. This started a whole debacle of who should get the shower and why? During this, Jou slipped out of the house to clear his head.

He first started to walk quickly and then worked into a full jog. The blond started to think aloud. "I must have been imagining it." He reasoned with himself. "That's right. I must have watched The Sound of Music one too many times and I just started …" Jou really could not justify where that outburst came from. It was weird to say the least.

Jounouchi turned a corner and found himself near a dry cleaner. There was a man holding a black suit in a plastic wrapper on a hanger. Next to him was a multitude of similar people holding similar dry cleaning items.

* * *

_They Got the Mustard Out_ (as sung in a final crescendo of an opera)

/Man/

**They got…. The Mustarddd… Outtttt…**

/All/

**They got the mustard … Outtt**

(The other people were twirling their dry cleaning in a flurry of colors and movement)

* * *

Jou's jaw dropped and he ran as far away from the scene as possible. "No, I did not see that. This is all a dream." He started hitting his head as if to awake but to no avail. He was awake and those people were singing. "There has to be a logical explanation to this." To his chagrin, his forte was not thinking but action, so trying to explain it made no sense.

As he was walking back to the Game Shop, something hit him, figuratively not literally. What will happen as people break into song? What will they sing about? This could be interesting, to say the least.

The bell atop of the door tinkled as the blond opened the door. Surveying the scene, he saw that Mokuba and Otogi were already in some new clothes, Anzu, Yuugi and Honda were still in the clothes that they slept in, which meant that Shizuka was in the shower.

Jounouchi was curious. Did anyone else notice that people were singing?

"Did you guys happen to notice anything unusual today?" he asked tentatively. The last thing he wanted was to be ripped on for thinking that people were singing. The blond wasn't even sure that this was real. So his question was something to test the waters.

"What do you mean?" Yuugi asked, looking inquisitively in the blond's direction. It was a strange question coming from Jou. What could possibly have him thinking like this?

"Ahh, don't worry about it!" That was the reassurance that came from Jounouchi. Yuugi was quick to notice that he was scratching his head in embarrassment. Whatever the blond was going to say didn't come out. Why, he wondered.

Through Yuugi's eyes, Yami looked at Jounouchi. He picked up something unusual in the air. It was really just a bad feeling more than anything but if Jounouchi noticed something about it, then it might be worth investigating. However, the first thing that he would need to know would be "Are they on the same page?" For now, he would just wait.

After everyone was showered and dressed, the gang started to go to the video store with all of the movies they had rented the night before. Jounouchi looked around, almost expecting someone to do a song and dance number. But so far, there was nothing.

* * *

Kaiba Seto was busy typing up a new program for a game that he was working on when his office phone rang. Looking at the number, he noticed it to be Izuro, Mokuba's personal bodyguard.

He answered the phone, putting it on speaker. "Speak, Izuro."

"It seems as though master Mokuba is heading out of the Game Shop with the others." The voice on the other end reported. "By the looks of it, it would appear as if he heading to the video store."

"Good work." Kaiba told him. "Keep your distance and continue following him. Make sure, above all else, that he does not see you."

There was a pregnant pause. And then, the bodyguard responded to his boss. "Sir, I know this isn't my place, but wasn't the whole point of this weekend a chance so that he could assert his independence. If I may be so bold, shouldn't you be allowing him to move towards his own path in life?"

Kaiba returned the pregnant pause. And then… "You're right!" he deadpanned. "It isn't your place." Then his voice took on a steely edge. "Now do the job that you are assigned to do or else I will find someone who will." The CEO disconnected the call and pinched his brow.

* * *

_My Shining Star_ (A soft ballad, kind of like an inspiration song.)

/Seto/  
**It had to have started when I held him in my arms  
I looked at that smiling face, and I fell in love  
He's the one remainder of the life before it all  
My shining star, when others seem to fall**

(Kaiba got up and pulled out the card necklace that he always carried and opened the locket, revealing a picture of Mokuba. He smiled as fond memories started to drift by.)

/Seto/  
**When our parents passed away, I had to be a man  
But as much as I could help it, I shielded you from that pain  
And through all this, your smile, I can recall  
Was my shining star, when others seem to fall**

**You were strong enough to laugh throughout the trouble  
Yet never … hid yourself from me  
Our happy days at that old orphanage  
Came crashing down instantly**

(The music picks up tempo as a bass guitar is strummed somewhere beyond the fourth wall. His face become scrunched in anger at the memories of that horrible man, Gozaburo)

**The man, the Devil, I sold my soul to him  
So you would be spared the shame  
Enduring two lifetimes of shame and abuse  
But for you, I would play his game**

**However, when his hand came down  
On your innocent soul  
I pushed that bastard out of our lives  
And left him out in the cold**

(The tempo returns to normal.)

**I was worried then, that his taint would scar your soul  
But you showed me that smile that banishes clouds away  
You are the one that calms my squall  
My shining star, when others seem to fall**

(He sits down and closes the locket. Seto closes his eyes as if in resignation.)

**And I know, I can't keep you to myself  
I want to show you off to the world  
To give you to the one you love  
That very… special girl**

**And though I know that day is soon  
It is so bittersweet  
But please go live your life  
It makes me more complete**

**So please for me, smile on that smile  
Smile that smile for me and her  
For me, continue standing tallllll  
My shining star, I know you'll never fall**

* * *

Kaiba typed a key on his keyboard to bring the computer out of standby mode. When that task was complete, he continued working on the program, as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

Atop the Domino Museum, a shadowy figure looked at one of the victims of his magic, a woman no older than 30 with red hair. She was in her last crescendo. When she was finished, she collapsed on the floor. Her body was lifeless, as if the essence of her very being was sucked out of her.

The demon smiled. It was all going according to plan.

Once More, With Feeling \Part 1\ (Read Author's Note at the bottom.)

/Demon/  
**So it begins, I know that he will be called  
But I have him trapped, he's already been enthralled  
Pharaoh, after all of these long years,  
You will lose all the ones that you hold dear  
The game's begun, and you, Pharoah, will fall**

In a red light, the demon vanished, a fading laughter echoing in the distance.

* * *

Author's Note: First thing's first. The song, Once More, With Feeling, will be based on Sweet's Song in the Buffy Musical. It is the same tempo, and because I did like his character, it will be the same demon. But trust me, it will not follow the Buffy episode to the T. It will have its own flavor.

Second thing next, this fic was suppose to be in a contest for a puppyshipper's site, but, for some reason, perhaps because of the crossover idea or they just hate a straight male writing Yaoi, they refuse to post on their site. So you guys get in on this story.

Third thing last, I am not a song writer. Nor am I a musican. But I do have an ear for music, having roomed with different musicians in college and having a beta who he and his girlfriend are awesome singers. They helped me write the songs and gave it a beat. Perhaps, after this fic is down, there will be a soundtrack. But I'm not promising anything.

So show some love and leave me a review. That would make me happy. And remember, they got the mustard out.

P.S. For all of you Buffy musical fans, I put in my favorite song in this chapter. The mustard song, so random, just like my thoughts.


	3. Act II

Act II

* * *

Tsukiko's Video Store…

For the movie buffs at heart, this is haven for movies of all kinds. Everyone went to their favorite sections. Yuugi went to the cartoon/anime section, Anzu the romantic comedy, Jou the drama, Honda the horror, Otogi the action, Mokuba the mystery, and Shizuka the classics. Among them, they selected fourteen movies. This would take them through to Sunday. Life was good.

After paying for the movies, the group decided that it would also be a good idea to stop off at the corner store to get some junk food. I mean, what's a movie weekend without adequate junk food?

As they were leaving the store, a strange melody wafted through the air. Jou could pick up the tempo and felt frustration to it. He still hadn't gotten over the fact that he broke into song today and now that he could hear music, it felt as if he was going out of his mind.

He looked for the source. Jou's amber eyes concentrated on a blond woman and a police officer. They were in front of a car that seemed to be situated next to a fire hydrant. The officer was writing something in his pad and the woman seemed to be pleading with him. However, they were so far away that he could barely make out what they were saying. For some reason, the blond boy stopped, feeling compelled to watch.

A voice called out to him. "Jou, why are staring off into space." That voice belonged to one Honda Hirito. Within seconds, the rest of the group ran back to get the blond who was intently staring and some woman and a police officer.

* * *

The Parking Ticket (An operatic song that would most likely be sung at the death of an important character, also from the Buffy Musical)

/Woman/

**I've been having a bad, bad day**

**Come on, won't you put that pad away?**

**I'm asking you please no…**

**It isn't right. It isn't fair.**

**There was no parking anywhere.**

**I think that hydrant wasn't there.**

**Why can't you let it go? ...**

The woman grabs her clothes and rips them to reveal a Broadway black shimmering top with fishnet stockings. An old man was stumbling by on a cane. All of a sudden, the woman grabs the cane from the man, causing him to collapse on the pavement. The tempo picks up to an opening Broadway show-stopping number.

/Woman/

**My alarm didn't get me up in the morning**

**And rush hour traffic was hell**

**I already so very late**

**Because of that, I missed the bell.**

The woman started row-kicking her way to the officer. She made sure that her fingers ghosted over the officer's chest.

/Woman/

**If I can say just one last thing**

**Your color is definitely blue**

**So if you want to see … a little more of me…**

**Then you know what to do**

**Don't write me up…

* * *

**

The officer just looked at her for a while. He then took out his ticket pad and continued to write upon it. "Not only am I ticketing you for your parking, but also I am also fining you for indecent exposure and obstruction of justice."

The police man ripped out the ticket and handed it to her. She slunk away, trying to avoid further embarrassment.

Honda slammed himself on Jounouchi. "Did you see that chick?" He guffawed.

Jounouchi's eyes widened. Finally, he had proof that someone saw the same thing that he did, a woman singing from out of nowhere and musical accompaniment. "You saw that too, right?

"Yeah." Honda chuckled. "Who would have thought that any women here would have clothes like that?"

The blond grimaced. Apparently, they were talking about two different things. "No, I was talking the singing. She was singing."

The yakuza-looking boy laughed boisterously. "Singing? You're nuts."

"No! How the hell did you not see that?" Jou clenched his fist, as if that would do anything to make him believe. But the blond realized that he was not alone with Honda. His other friends had stopped to see why Jou stopped. "Com'n guys. Honda's being an ass but you guys saw it, right? The lady singing?"

Anzu placed the back of her hand on Jou's forehead. "Are you feeling alright, Jou-kun?"

"So no one saw that?" The blond asked. Everyone shook their heads.

Jou scoffed in frustration and skulked away. But through Yuugi's eyes, the ancient spirit of the Pharaoh stared at the blond. He may not have had seen the singing but there was a faint whisper of power. Perhaps it would be a good idea to investigate this claim.

In his soul room, Yami found an ancient spell book and the Annuls of the Pharaohs to find out if there was something that could be attributed to either singing or the illusion of singing.

The party walked in silence back to the Game Shop, each to their own thoughts. Jou was conflicted between embarrassment and frustration. Why is it that he was the only one that witnessed the woman singing? Could he be going insane or does he just want to see them singing? If so, why is that?

Honda was looking at his best friend, Jounouchi. It didn't make sense that he would see the woman singing. Although, to give the blond credit, the outfit that she was wearing _would_ be something that a Broadway performer would wear, he saw or heard nothing else to corroborate his friend's story.

Even as the party reached the Game Shop, no one made a sound. The silence was broken by Otogi's cell phone. Answering the call quickly and harshly, the dice master closed his phone and hung his head. He looked at his companions. "Sorry, my store just got a shipment and I have to go sign for it and put it away." He started to walk to his store. Turning back, he looked more intently on his crush than any other person. "You guys watch the next movie without me. I'll be back in an hour or so."

Honda saw Otogi looking at him, certain sadness evident in his eyes. There could be only one reason for such a look. Otogi was sad that he was going to miss the movie. But, perhaps with an extra hand, the two of them wouldn't miss much.

"Why don't I go with you and help?" Honda offered. "This way, you'll get done quicker."

Otogi could not believe what he was hearing. Honda Hirito, the object of his affections, was going out of his way to help him with work. It was like a dream come true, or a nightmare; he couldn't decide. It was bad enough that the dice master had this crush and could not express his affection. Every outing with the gang reminded Otogi that Honda was something that he could not have. But now, it just got even worse. Honda, through no fault of his own, was now pitting him in a situation where they would be totally alone. This could be a fantasy, the two of them alone where anything can happen and they could be riding off into the sunset on his motorcycle, or it could be hell, where Otogi would reveal his heart and have it stomped on by his crush's revulsion.

His mind wanted to say no but his heart took control. "Sure, why not. It'll go faster that way."

Honda nodded. "Then it's settled. Wait out here while I go get the helmets from out of Yuugi's closet." The shark-fin head ran inside, leaving the dice-master to his thoughts.

A thought came to Otogi Ryuji's mind. He was going to be riding on Honda's motorcycle, which meant that he was going to be in close contact with his desire and he would have to hold on tightly. One of his fantasies was coming true in a bad way. In his fantasies, Honda and Otogi were an established couple and it would only be natural that he would hold on to his boyfriend, snuggling up close and feeling that hard body against his own. But Honda was only driving him as a favor, as a friend. It almost seemed selfish but he reveled in the thought that he was given an excuse to get closer to him without arousing suspicion.

It was only a minute later that he saw a red spherical object come at his face. Reacting quickly, he caught the helmet thrown at him. "Sorry about that, Otogi." Honda apologized. "I thought you were paying attention."

The dice master shook his head. "It's alright. I spaced out a bit."

Nothing else was said. The two teenage boys headed to the motorcycle and drove off to Otogi's store.

* * *

Jou popped in the movie and plopped on the sofa, again taking up all the space on it. Not that anyone else wanted to sit on it. Mokuba and Shizuka were sitting on the love seat together. Anzu was sitting in the recliner and Yuugi, deferring to his guests, took a seat from the kitchen and brought it to the living room. With the volume blasting, the title screen came up "Revenge of the Teenaged Zombie Nerds". Dimming the lights for effect, the gang was ready to be scared out of their wits.

* * *

The motorcycle ride was the greatest thing in Otogi's young life. The ride was fast. The wind whipping through his body and hair was amazing, something he wishes he could get used to. Although he hated that he wasn't in a relationship with his riding partner, just the feel of his hard body against his was an aphrodisiac. He unconsciously snuggled up against his crush, just enjoying the moment. Unfortunately, his body also loved this. It was making the dice master's blood fall south and it made him nervous. What if Honda felt it?

On the other side of the coin, Honda could feel his riding partner tightening up during the ride. He would have to apologize later for going too fast. It felt like he was hanging on for dear life. And he could feel a roadie-boner from Otogi as the blood rushing from the ride. Honda wasn't bothered by it at all. In fact, it was a perfectly natural occurrence from motorcycle riders, especially if it's your first time, and a small price to pay to feel a rush like nothing else. He had Yuugi on his bike before and, after the ride, the tri-colored teen was so embarrassed, he didn't stop apologizing for thirty minutes, even after he told Yuugi that it was natural. Just imagining the dice master squirming while he was apologizing filled him with such glee.

It took five minutes with Honda's driving to get from the Game Shop to the Dice Shop. Pulling up to the driveway, Honda placed his feet on the ground to bring the vehicle to a complete stop, allowing Otogi to get off… the vehicle, I mean.

Honda took off his helmet and put it on the bike. He stood at the entrance waiting for Otogi to open the door when he release that the dice master was still on the bike.

"Otogi, I don't have the keys." Honda told him. "Hey man, are you going to open the door?"

The dice master did not move, too embarrassed to get up. On the bright side, he has learnt a new lesson; _**NEVER WEAR LEATHER PANTS WHILE ON HONDA'S MOTORCYCLE**_. He was having a hard time trying to think unsexy thoughts. However, his brain, with what little blood flowing through it, decided that it wanted to interpret what Honda was saying in a sexual manner.

The shark-fin teen came to the conclusion that the dice master was embarrassed of the roadie-boner. He walked over to his friend, who seemed to be trying to move away from him.

"Otogi, you don't have to be embarrassed. It's just a roadie-boner." Though it couldn't be seen because of the visor of the helmet, the dice master just gawked at him. How did he know about his b…. problem? And why didn't he have a problem with his problem. The way that Honda just dismissed his problem confused him, on top of the blatantly crude way to talk about it.

"It happens sometime when you ride a motorcycle." Honda continued. "It's nothing really. Guys get them at times. It doesn't make either one of us gay."

Otogi realized that Honda was trying to make feel better about what happened. However, he felt guilty because he let Honda assume the wrong reason to his problem. Nothing he could do about it now.

Otogi's erection was beginning to subside although there was a visible outline in his leather pants. Without taking off his helmet, the dice master opened the door with his keys.

"Hey," Honda called to him. "Aren't you going to take off the helmet?"

There was a bit of hesitation with Otogi and then the helmet came off. A full blush colored his cheeks. After fumbling through his pants pocket, the dice master opened the door with his keys and the two of them went inside. Flipping a light switch flooded the storeroom floor. It was kind of like Yuugi's store as there were glass cases but instead of cards, there were open dice that contained a monster or something. As they moved through the store, Honda and Otogi made their way to the backroom door. From there, there was a staircase that headed up and another hallway that lead to a loading dock. Otogi led Honda to the loading dock where there were dozens of boxes awaited them.

"These are the new dices that need to be sorted. Just bring the boxes to the front and I'll tell you what to do from there." Otogi told his friend, making sure to enunciate every word slowly as cover up his nervousness. Here he was, Honda Hirito, someone who oozed sex appeal, at least to him, alone with him, helping him move heavy boxes. No doubt that he'll become sweaty from the endeavor. Perhaps he would take off his shirt and then he would see those rippling muscles, Otogi was pretty sure Honda had them, in action. All of his mind's wanderings were continuing as the dice master was lifting the boxes.

But, you see, fantasy should not be mixed with manual labor because as soon as his mind went imagining, he forgot about the task at hand. This caused him to drop a semi-heavy box on his leg. Swearing loudly, Otogi dropped to his knees and clutched his knee. Honda put down the box that he was holding and immediately went to his side. "Are you alright?" He asked the hurt teen.

Otogi swore loudly. "Those damn things hurt when you drop them on your knees." It was like an instant to him when his crush was next to him.

"How badly does it hurt?" Honda asked. And then, the biker did something that freaked the dice master out very much. He began gently squeezing Otogi's leg. "Just tell me when it hurts."

_Why the hell was this happening to him_, Otogi thought. It was like some cosmic author was trying to mess with him and put him in unlikely situations that will only end up bad for him. Now his crush was feeling up his leg. Granted that he was only checking for injuries but still, how could this be happening? The dice master was dumbstruck. Whatever words he would have said before died before he could utter them. Still, he couldn't lie to himself and say that he didn't like Honda's hands on him.

"I think I'm fine." Otogi told him. The dice master tried to get up but falter as pain shot through his leg. It was sharp like tiny pinpricks and his steps were uneasy until the long-haired male was supported by Honda. It was then that Otogi Ryuji really hated that cosmic author. The scent of the other male was permeating his olfactory senses and the alluring body heat of the biker was better than any of his fantasies. The worst part, or the best, he couldn't tell, was that the dice master's tongue was completely tied so he couldn't protest.

Honda helped to the front of the shop and seated in one of the chairs near the counters. "Uh, Honda thanks." Otogi uttered a pronounced blush on his face.

"No problem, Otogi." Honda smirked. "I'd do this for any of my friends: you, Yuugi, Jou, anybody."

Otogi couldn't help but get jealous at that fact. Jounouchi Katsuya, if only he had definitive proof…. For a while now, the dice master was surreptitiously trying to see where the blond's affections lied. Did he like girls or boys? And if he did like boys, was it Honda Hirito that he had eyes for? By careful observation of his mark, he could glean nothing one way or the other. Without blatantly asking him, Otogi could not make a positive. And that's what really bothered him, more than not knowing whether Honda was gay. He could accept that there is a possibility that the biker was straight. After all, he did have a girlfriend before (Miyo was it?) and he did have some interest in Shizuka before Mokuba laid claim to her. He could understand if _Honda_ wasn't gay or bi, but if he did have a soft spot for guys, then most likely, it would be for his best friend. And it wasn't him. That's why it was important to Otogi to find out where Jou's allegiance lied. If he did like the fairer sex, then there was nothing to worry about. But if there was any inclination that Jounouchi has his eyes on some man goodies, then it was imperative to find out whom. Rejection would hurt if Honda didn't like guys but it would hurt even more if he did stand a chance and was rejected anyways.

He was brought back to the present by a wave of his friend's hand. "Are you alright?" Honda asked.

"Yeah, just thinking about something." Otogi was still distant. There was no point in obsessing over it. It would just plague him incessantly. Perhaps it was time to try and find another person to love… someone that was sure to love him back.

The biker, seeing that his friend was in pain, left him to his thoughts to go look for some ice. For some reason, he felt as if Otogi's eyes were on him. Granted that he was the only one in the store, it just made him feel like something weird was happening behind his back.

For some time now, he had been feeling that he was being watched but whenever he turned around, there was Otogi. It never made any sense. Why? Because whenever he started looking, the dice master's attention was on Jou. It was strange. His ebony-haired friend looked like he was taking mental notes for some sort of subject … and the subject was Jounouchi Katsuya. And that was the strangest thing … Why would Otogi study Jou? The only way that that even make sense was if…. Wait! Could it possibly mean that…? Otogi was gay? And in love with Jou?

It was strange to say the least. He had never had someone who was homosexual as a friend. But then again, his circle of friends was very limited. Not that he had a problem with homosexuality… whatever someone did on their own time in their own bedroom was their own business. However, that was only because people who were homosexuals were distant from him. But the possibility of Otogi and Jou being gay raced through his mind. The one question that he had to ask was, "Why hadn't either of them told him that they were like that?" Otogi, he could understand. They just recently started a friendship a while ago. It would make plain sense that he wouldn't trust him with that information… yet. But Jou… that's another story. He and Jou have been friends ever since becoming part of that street gang. They always looked out for each other's back. Honda would like to think that he knew everything about his friend. But if Jou _was_ hiding this secret from him (the key word, of course, being if), then it was something about him that he didn't know. And that hurt him most of all.

Honda couldn't wrap his mind around the thought that two of his friends could be gay, so he stopped thinking about it. Better to deal with it should it come up. He continued carting the boxes to the front.

Otogi, noticing that Honda was doing all the work, decided to get up and help with the boxes. A dull ache shot through his leg but he ignored it.

* * *

Mokuba's phone was vibrating. Most likely, it was his brother. He loved his brother with all of his being but sometimes, he could be a mother hen. Ok, so he was kidnapped multiple times, but still, it still was irritating to continually check in when he hasn't done anything noteworthy to report. Seto had good intentions but Mokuba realized early on when he started dating Shizuka that Seto had a problem with letting go. This was bad, coupled with the fact that he was dating the sister of a rival of his brother's. Well, rival is stretching the word too liberally. Rival means that they were on equal ground which they most certainly are not. Mokuba remembers the first time that he introduced his girlfriend to his brother. There was a mix of anger, betrayal, and disdain… dashed with cordiality and restraint. Fortunately, if Shizuka noticed it, she didn't comment on it.

He looked at the girl that was sitting next to him. She was utterly perfect. Perhaps the reason that Seto was always checking up on him is that she's related to Jounouchi Katsuya. Perhaps, he thought that some of the blond's, what his brother would classify as, bad qualities were inherited. He never knew why Seto treated the blond with disrespect but something had to have happened to set him off. His brother, from his personal experiences, doesn't waste his time with lost or pointless causes. So whatever the reason, it had to be a good one.

Mokuba couldn't fathom what that was and Seto sometimes isn't the easiest person with which to have a conversation, especially if it's about feelings. And, as long as it was not destroying him in any way, Mokuba just left it alone.

"Holy …." Jounouchi shouted, disrupting Mokuba's thinking flow. "Did you see that?"

Mokuba, too lost in his contemplation, just missed the part where the protagonist blew a hole into one of the zombie's head. _Dammit, no more thinking…..

* * *

_

In twenty minutes, the boxes were moved.

Honda wiped his brow and stretched. "I'm glad that that's done."

Otogi, momentarily distracted by the stretch, agreed. "The next part is easy." The dice master instructed. "Inside the boxes are color-colored bags. They represent the color of the dice. Just match them in the display case and then we're done."

Honda nodded and the two of them worked on clearing out the boxes of its contents. Two hands made the job so much quicker and in ten minutes, they were down to the last box. When the both of them reached for some of the bags in the box, the biker and the dice master's hands touched. They both stopped what they were doing. Otogi pulled back his hands like he was burnt while Honda kept his hand right where they were.

"Are you alright, Otogi?" He asked, noticing the pink stain on his cheek.

"Uh, yeah." The dice master responded quickly. "I just felt a shock. That's all." It wasn't a complete lie. There was no electrical shock but there was one that made his heart flutter. Though the point should have been moot when he cuddled up against him during their ride to the shop, there was something about skin to skin contact that made him hear the Carpenters' Song _Close to You_. He was acting too much like a giddy schoolgirl next to his crush and it's starting to cause problems. Damn attachment!

Honda looked at his companion and knew that he was hiding something. Perhaps he was right in thinking that Otogi was gay…. Then that would mean….

The biker wasn't prepared for this. It kind of freaked him out. Someone close had a crush on him, him Honda Hirito. He had no idea how to act. Whatever answer he gives would change the nature of his relationship with Otogi.

Honda had always considered himself straight. Beyond the musings of what celebrity he would sleep with if he were gay, the biker never questioned it. This was beyond overload. Right now, he couldn't deal with it.

The last box was finished without any more slipups. Otogi was closing up shop when Honda realized that he would have to drive the dice master back to the Game Shop. That would be bad with this new information bombarding him. However, he didn't want to make it show so that Otogi knows that there is nothing different between them. At least he can pretend now. What happens should he confess later… well, that's a different story.

Honda would have felt his palms sweat if they weren't gloved as he sat on his bike and grabbed the handles. His passenger sat behind him and grabbed on tentatively. There was something different in Honda's behavior but he decided not to question it. Best to let it go.

The drive took longer than the ride coming to Otogi's store. Honda didn't want to excite the dice master just in case there was more to his roadie-boner than just the feel of the motorcycle. Plus, it would probably spook him into crashing and he didn't want to die right now. So he only accelerated enough to keep to the speed limit.

They made it eventually and Honda pulled into the driveway. He just wanted to take off his helmet and get back inside so he didn't have to confront Otogi right now. Movies would take his mind off of the happenings right now. He wasn't ready to deal with this now.

Otogi saw Honda move towards the door when some force compelled him to call out to him. "Honda!" It was kind of a soft whisper with a pleading edge to it. And it caught the attention of the bearer of that name

"Yeah?" The teen with the yakuza style hairdo asked.

Just Look My Way

_(A smooth R & B song)_

/Ryuji/

**Every time I look at you, my heart beats just a little faster**

**And I don't know why it is but just makes me feel …**

**And every time you pass by, you make my eye to wander**

**How do you compete with something like that?**

**  
And I just want know that I mean something to you**

**I just want to know I am on your mind**

**Let me be the one you come running to**

**Please, I just want your love**

**I don't know why I feel this way. It makes no sense**

**But I know that I don't give this feeling up**

**You may not feel the same but my heart doesn't understand**

**Please, give me a favorable answer.**

**And I just want to know that you feel the same way.**

**I just want to know that I'm in your heart.**

**Let me be the one that keeps you safe**

**Please, I just want your love**

Although the action flick was on full blast, Jounouchi could still hear music coming from outside. It's been like this all day. Every once in a while, people would pass by the shop window, singing their conversations. In the hour that passed by, he heard a song about getting ice cream, homework, climbing the corporate ladder, and even a break up song. Now, it seems that someone is proclaiming his love to someone. The voice sounded familiar. Curiosity got the best of him and so, he went to look.

When he did, the blond immediately wish he didn't. He could hear the pleading edge of Otogi Ryuji singing a love confession to his best friend, Honda Hirito. Honda looked dumbstruck, like he couldn't believe what was happening. As much as he didn't want to listen anymore, Jou couldn't move away. Observing on, he watched as the dice master reached his crescendo.

**Don't… turn me away….**

**I want you to stay… with me**

**It may not be what's natural to everyone**

**But being without you would kill me inside**

**And I just want to know that I mean something to you**

**I just want to know I am on your mind**

**Will you be the one that I can run to?**

**Please, I just want….**

Otogi moved in closer until his and Honda's noses touched. Looking into brown eyes that seemed transfixed on his face in shock, confusion and what was he hoped was expectancy, the dice master took a quick breath and closed his eyes. Before either of them realized it, the ebony haired teen pressed their lips together.

Honda had no idea what was going on. One minute, Otogi was speaking to him and then he was kissing him. His eyes were transfixed on the head of hair that was attached to the head of the lips that were kissing him. Why him? How did this make him feel?

After what seemed like an eternity, Otogi pulled away and opened his eyes, a crooked and shaky half-smile forming on his lip. Hope shun in his eyes, waiting for a favorable answer. All he got was a stupefied look back. An awkward silence passed between them. Otogi didn't know what to do.

The awkwardness was broken by Jounouchi opening the door. Like the child with his hand caught in the cookie jar, both teens looked at the blond with wide-eyes. No one said anything for a few moments.

"Are the two of you going to come inside?" Jou asked.

Honda nodded and, with a skittish demeanor, walked past the blond, not even acknowledging him. Otogi passed a few seconds after with a downcast countenance. Jou closed the door after him.

Yuugi, after seeing his friends enter the living room, tried to greet them but all he got were silent looks. Honda sat as far away from Otogi as possible, landing him next to Mokuba and Shizuka. The dice master sat by himself on the floor next to the recliner. Jou, however, tapped on the shoulder of his tri-colored hair friend.

"Yuugi, can I speak to you in private?" The blond asked in a voice no more than a whisper.

Yuugi nodded and the two left the living room in favor of the shop.

Anzu watched as Yuugi left. In all honesty, she really wasn't paying attention to the movie as much as she was paying attention to her friend. Her mind said that this was her best friend and she had no right to encroach on uncharted territories. But her heart refused to listen. It was getting so bad that she was mentally measuring Yuugi, studying every dip and angle on his face. If she had any artistic ability, she would draw a very realistic and lifelike picture.

There was no reason to why she felt this way, at least a reason she could figure out. Perhaps it was because he was always around. It doesn't matter really. But then again, there was more than one side to him. She saw it whenever he dueled. It was more than just a boost of confidence. It was as if he had become a different person. Yuugi once said that an ancient pharaoh inhabited his body. An outsider would think that the spiky haired teen was a candidate for the loony bin but, having seen this Yuugi in action on more than one occasion, Anzu was beginning to believe that there was some kernel of truth to what he was saying. This brings us full circle to her dilemma. IF she was in love with Yuugi, was it because of who he is or who he becomes.

Jou did a lot of pacing. He was trying to find a way to convey the idea that there was something strange that only he could see. After realizing that none of his friends could see the woman with the parking ticket singing, the blond came to the conclusion that he was either going insane or that no one else could see it. So he was going for his Hail Mary. Yuugi, ever since Pegasus J. Crawford was able to take his grandfather's soul, has been thrust into a world of magic and monsters. If anyone could figure out if this has something to do with magic, it would be Yuugi. In any case, he might as well be direct about it.

"Yuugi!" He began. "I think that I am either going insane or I am experiencing something supernatural." The blond winced. Good job, Jou. Let him think you're insane.

To his credit, Yuugi did not flinch when Jou said that. In fact, he gave him more of an understanding look. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that I am starting to hear people singing."

Now, Yuugi looked confused. Of all the things that Jounouchi Katsuya could have said, hearing people sing was not one of them. It sounded absurd to begin with. But the blond looked serious. "Singing, Jou?"

"Yes, I know it sound weird but I just saw Dice Man singing to Honda and earlier today, I saw a woman singing about her parking ticket. But the weirdest thing was when I broke into song. I just heard music and then, I started singing. It was like a weird urge... like I was actually in a musical. Does that make any sense?"

"Well, are you sure that you weren't dreaming?" Yuugi approached this from a logical angle. Maybe his mind was supplanting a dream for reality. But then again, stranger things have happened to them. Having just left the wake of the Shadow Games with Pegasus, Bakura, and Marik, believing that there was something more than just his friend hallucinating was not a far stretch. But if there was going to be any confirmation that there was something supernatural going on, there would need to be someone to talk to the expert, the spirit of the puzzle who called himself Yami.

_Yami_! Yuugi began to commune with the spirit, coaxing him to come out and help.

_What is it, aibou_? The spirit answered back.

_Is something magical happening here?_

_Actually, I have been getting the feeling that there is something going on here. There is a greater concentration of magic than usual around the city. I have felt that when you guys went to the video place. I thought nothing of it at the time._

_If this is so, why is Jounouchi the only person who knows this?_

_I don't know. But he may be tied to this inadvertently. _

_Is there anything we can do?_

_I have an idea._

The Millennium puzzle glowed with a faint, ethereal light. When it dissipated, the figure standing before Jounouchi was not that of his friend but that of the former Pharaoh who called himself Yami.

"Hello, Jounouchi." The spirit greeted, a confident smirk on his face.

"You're that spirit that lives inside the Puzzle, right?" Jou asked. When said spirit nodded, the blond visibly seemed relieved.

"I think I can help." The spirit responded. "Get everyone here."

* * *

Driving on the freeway, Seto was a bit put off today. There was a huge merger that couldn't be handled by his incompetent subordinates in the conference room. Seriously, how difficult is it to stick to the notes that he writes. But the merging company tried to be slick and confuse his lackeys (which suits them correctly), and it worked. Said lackeys had to call him while he was betaing a new program for his video games. Irritated that he had to break his itinerary, he went to the conference room and settled the merger himself. It cut into his schedule but better to handle it himself than to let someone unreliable work this.

Seto had zero tolerance for unreliable people. It was instilled in him during Gozaburo's tutelage. If you surround yourself with unreliable people, your empire will fall that much faster. Seto worked too hard to let some brain-dead employee ruin this. This was his company now.

On an unrelated note, Seto hadn't heard from his brother today. He tried calling him but Mokuba didn't answer. That could only mean one of three things: the battery was dead, he's not answering for some reason, or he's been captured. The most likely explanation would be the first. If that were so, then there would be nothing to worry about. Replace battery and voila, no more problems. Seto didn't dwell long on the second possibility. The younger Kaiba was very meticulous about phoning in. He didn't think on the final possibility. First off, he has a bodyguard hiding in the wings who is armed to the nines with guns and is trained to shoot if there is the slightest threat to Mokuba. He knew that his brother hasn't left the Game Shop after leaving to go to the video store. Plus, it would seem unlikely that anyone would try anything with so many people with Mokuba.

So with a cell phone battery in hand, Seto drove off to the Game Shop.

* * *

The seven teens gathered around an incense bowl burning in the living room. Yami called them to see if he could shed some light on the blond's situation.

"So you are telling me that we were singing and not aware of it?" Honda asked. "I think I would be aware of something like that."

"I have to agree with Honda." Mokuba replied. "I mean, why would we sing and just forget afterwards."

"I'll explain." The spirit answered. "Back in the times of the Pharaohs, there was a traveling minstrel. He was the most excellent of his kind. Many people flocked to hear him strum his lyre and sing. His song was so powerful that even the rocks, rivers, and animals bent to his song. However, all was not what it seemed as people sang with them and danced to his tune. They could not help it. It was like a compulsion. And such a compulsion had an adverse effect. When the body reached its limits, it would give out and the soul would be lost, effectively killing that person. When the people realized that there was foul play, the legend goes that the Pharaoh at the time, Kinak the Discerner, sent his best men to kill the minstrel. However, it was of no consequence to the minstrel. With a pluck of his lyre, the soldiers were under his power. The Pharaoh's best magicians were of no consequence either as their magics were entranced by the same music. In the end, the Pharaoh himself challenged the minstrel to a Shadow Game. The loser would be banished to the Shadow Realm. Needless to say, the Pharaoh won and banished the minstrel. But, he vowed revenge against the Pharaoh and his throne."

"And what does this have to do with us and me hearing singing." Jounouchi asked. "I was never the Pharaoh, was I?"

"I don't know." Yami admitted. "I really don't understand any of this myself. It seems far-fetched, even as shadow magic goes."

The flame in the incense burner began to rise from its bowl. As the flame flickered, it seemed to dance as it moved just like a conductor swinging his baton as the orchestra plays.

See Some Spirits Tonight

_An Orchestra Crescendo from an opera_

(Yami waves his hands over the flame, commanding it to grow. When it reached an acceptable height, he gathered the ingredients he needed for the first part of the incantation).

/Yami/

**A handle of dirt and a sprinkle of water**

**A robin's red feather to make spirits louder**

**The oil of olives and cedar from Lebanon**

**Set loose the spirits who continue to carry on**

**Calling all Pixies and creatures Faerie and Light….**

**Let's see some spirits tonight.**

(The flame glowed with an ethereal light as it started to permeate through the people sitting around it. As the flames washed over their eyes, they were privy to all things spiritual. They could see the ether that flows through humans, ghosts, and many other things that had no names which were beautiful and horrifying at the same time.)

Yami

**Come, ye spirits, oh come**

**Dance, ye spirits, oh dance**

**Sing, ye spirits, oh sing**

**Join in the dance and singing and celebrating**

**Tonight is the night. Do not be late.**

**Party till dawn till morning light**

**Let's see some spirits tonight.**

(Yami got up and started walking around the circle.)

Yami

**Let now these mortals join in your song**

(He plucks a hair from everyone in the circle)

**/Anzu/**

**Ow**

**/Hirito/**

**Ow**

**/Katsuya/**

**Ow**

**/Shizuka/**

**Ow**

**/Mokuba/**

**Ow**

**/Ryuji/**

**Hey that hurts**

**/Yami/**

**Permit us to bask in your mirth.**

(After plucking his own hair, Yami throws them into incense burner.)

**With these in the fire, our covenant begins**

**Reveal what is hidden in mischief and sin**

**I beseech thee spirits, now let us in**

**To the light…**

(At this moment, Seto barges into the shop. His face is one of indifference and bewilderment at the scene. All but Yami, who was concentrating on his incantation, looked at the new face. Seeing an incense burner with an open flame, Seto moves to get his brother away.)

**/Yami/**

**Let's see some spirits tonight.**

With the song over, the flame washes over all in the room. When it died, there was an unearthly silence. Now one moved and people barely breathed for fear of what just happened.

"Ok!" Seto roared, breaking the silence. "What the hell was that?"

"Did it work?" Jounouchi asked. "Are we free of singing?"

"I demand an explanation right before I sue all of you for endangering my brother." The CEO was beyond pissed. "An explanation that makes sense, mind you."

From far away, Kinak felt a disturbance in the world of magic. It seems as if the Pharaoh realized what was going on. No matter! The spell was already in place. He smirked

Once More, With Feeling (Part 2)

/Kinak/

**Well done, Pharaoh. I expected no less.**

**My revenge is soon for the sins you've transgressed.**

**The Blood Moon's coming and you can't beat it.**

**Just welcome your doom and greet it.**

**All your life's work will be all….. A mess……

* * *

**

Finally! So let me explain why this was late. April was the last time I posted a fic. That was my Kingdom Hearts fic, Dearly Beloved. In May and June, I was working on my dissertation to get into Grad School. It was a brilliant paper if I say so. But that's not the reason why. In July, I was working in Hollywood as an intern. But in August, I was driving and a car t-boned me. I was out for a good two and a half months. For the rest of October and November, I was going through a painful rehabilitation. I still have pain from the accident but I will recover. In the process, I completely and understandably lost interest and even thought of my fic writing. So, sometime on Thanksgiving weekend, I read my emails and I got a lot of reviews waiting for my return. So I'm back.

This is the order that I will be writing my fics.

(Space for a new story for the Christmas season, maybe)

(A one shot from my perspective as an accident victim, Mokuba/Shizuka, maybe)

Only in My Dreams

Young Hearts, Run Free

Dearly Beloved

So prepare for that.

Thanks for reading

Sparky


	4. ACT III

Damn. You have no idea how tough it was to type this chapter. I lost my flash drive which had all of the songs I created for this chapter. I was so pissed so I had to create new ones. Well, enjoy!

* * *

Act III

"Singing?" Kaiba asked. "Now this is way out there even for you."

Kaiba was furious. He knew instinctively that there was something wrong when his brother didn't answer the phone. Imagine his surprise when he saw that his brother was participating in some sort of arcane ritual. He expected to hear something along the lines of 'past lives, shadow games and junk'. But everyone bursting into song, well that was a new one.

"It's true, Nii-sama." Mokuba answered. "Yuugi-san was singing. There were harmonies and everything started to rhyme and stuff."

"He's right, Kaiba." Jounouchi spat, looking at the visage of the last person he wanted to see that day. "I saw Otogi singing to Honda, a lady singing about her parking ticket and I even broke into song."

After Jou mentioned that Otogi broke into song, Honda instantly remembered what happened. It was some sort of love ballad that ended with the dice guy kissing him. And it was disturbing to say the least. The yakuza teen was pushing the thought to the back of his mind when Jou brought up the song. He didn't want to deal with this now. Perhaps it was a mistake…. Yeah that's the ticket, a mistake.

Otogi looked at Honda during the conversation. He didn't even try to make a show of hiding it. After the spell was casted, Otogi remembered the song. He knew how he felt about the other teen and his heart spilled out, like an overflowing dam. And when the floodgates opened, he couldn't stop singing. It was the last way he wanted to reveal his feelings. In fact, he was content just keeping them inside so that he wouldn't look like a fool. How shameful

"Are you touched in the head, mutt?" Kaiba asked him. "No one just breaks into song."

Jounouchi snorted. "I wonder what kind of song Moneybags would sing. Something like 'I like to work all day long.'" The gang tried not to bring attention to that fact but they were snickering at the thought of Kaiba singing. Even Mokuba could help but grin at the notion of his brother breaking into song.

"I would never do something so asinine." And that's when Kaiba remembered. He did break into song. He was singing about Mokuba and his relationship with his little brother. That he didn't remember it until this moment disturbed him. It had to be a dream or something. There was no way that he would do it willingly. "Mokuba, come with me." He ordered. "We're going home."

"But Nii-sama, we were just about to watch another movie." He whined. Actually, he wanted to see where this song-thing was going. The ebony-haired imp wanted to break into song like everyone else. He wondered what kind of song he would sing. It sounded like fun.

"Yeah, Kaiba-san." Shizuka stood with her boyfriend. "I promise. No more songs." She wondered if puppy-dog eyes would work on the CEO.

Kaiba glanced angrily the group. The last thing that he wanted was his brother being corrupted by this magic nonsense. But, Mokuba seemed adamant on staying. He didn't want to see him sad and it was sort of a frivolous notion to take Mokuba away from his girlfriend because they believe they were breaking into songs. Besides, he wanted to contemplate his own singing. Kaiba threw a cell phone battery at Mokuba, who caught it instantly. "Call me tomorrow."

With that, Kaiba exited the Game Shop. "I'll see you to the door." Jounouchi told him

Kaiba walked to his car while Jounouchi stood on the stoop of the Game Shop. "You know, there are some things in this world that can't be explained with logic and science, Kaiba." The blond called out to him.

"Your stupidity would be one of them." Kaiba smirked.

"You arrogant…." Jou shook his head. "When are you going to get it through your thick head that we are not your enemies?"

Kaiba turned. "Are you going to serenade me about the joys of friendship, mutt?"

"You know, you'd be a lot more fun to hang around if you didn't have that stick up your ass." Jou glared.

"And that's the point. I don't want to hang around you." Kaiba retorted as he climbed into his car and drove away from the blond and the Game Shop.

Jounouchi sighed. That didn't end the way he wanted. The blond stared at the road that Kaiba took to go home.

The Boy I Like

_A soft music box-like song_

/Katsuya/

**There's the boy that I like**

**Now more than ever, he gives me butterflies**

**As he stands there all aloof**

**He still thinks I'm a goof**

**I wonder if he thinks of me like I think of him**

**How I like to imagine**

**That I would be always standing by his side**

**To see him smile at me**

**To know that he loves me**

**That's all I really want from you**

As Jounouchi was about to go into his third verse, the door to the Game Shop opened and Anzu appeared.

"Jou-kun, the next movie was about to start." Then she gasped. "Were you just singing now?"

Jou scratched his head in embarrassment. "You heard?"

"You were just singing about Kaiba."

And Jounouchi couldn't deny it. He was singing about him. He couldn't help it. It was like a compulsion. "I thought we got rid of the songs." He tried to change the subject. "How come I am still singing?"

"I think a better question was why are singing about Kaiba like that? It sounded like a love song." Anzu asked.

Jounouchi didn't like lying to his friends but this was a subject upon which he was uncomfortable. There were times that he didn't like that he felt this way about the other teen. If it were anyone else, he wouldn't feel as bad as he did with Kaiba. If Kaiba's attitude were different,…. But he treats everyone else like they are beneath him. And yet, there was something that the blond found attractive; perhaps the svelte form or those stunning Prussians that stared back at him. Who knows?

"Do we have to talk about this now?" Jounouchi asked.

Anzu could see how this was tearing apart Jounouchi and decided that she wouldn't press the issue. Better to allow the blond to discuss whatever feelings he had on Kaiba at another time.

But, considering that the spirit of the millennium puzzle did say that they would be free from the songs, Anzu did wonder why Jounouchi broke into song. Perhaps it was time to break into investigative mode.

As Jounouchi and Anzu walked back into the Game Shop, they were greeted with a strange sight. Yuugi and the gang were singing about what movie they were going to watch next.

As Honda was going into a crescendo about the new spy thriller that he wanted to watch, Anzu shouted at him. "Honda-kun."

It was like a phonograph needle scratched across a record. The song stopped immediately. Everyone looked at Anzu and she blushed, not used to the attention. "Um…" She stuttered. "I thought that we got rid of the singing."

The Spirit who called himself Yami spoke to Yuugi through his mind. "I never said the songs would be broken. The spell that was cast allows use to see what magics were afflicting us."

Yuugi relayed the information to the group. "He said that if we don't find the source of the songs, we will keep singing forever."

Shizuka's face scrunched in confusion. "I don't see the problem." She said. "So we sing instead of talk. What is so wrong with that?"

Yami answered back, using his aibou as a conduit. "It's unnatural to sing without reason. And all things unnatural have a price. If we don't find the source, he says that it could end up worse."

"How worse can it get?" Otogi asked. After that song, in which he revealed his feelings to his longtime crush, he couldn't fathom what could possibly be worse than that.

"Well, he says that the songs are designed to reveal what's in your heart." The tri-color haired teen told the group. "These closely guarded secrets could change relationships. Imagine that you hate your boss but always kept that inside or say you liked someone but were too afraid to tell that person. The songs are devised to destroy those barriers and blurt out what you feel, without any regard of the consequences."

The group nodded. That would be sort of bad. "But even if you blurt out your secrets, how is that bad?" Mokuba asked, trying to attack this problem from a logical standpoint.

And that question was answered when they heard singing coming from outside the Game Shop. The group investigated and saw a group of teenagers singing about a new episode of their favorite show. As they were singing, Yami, through Yuugi's eyes, could see green orbs coming out of the teens' bodies. When all of the orbs came out of their bodies, the teens collapsed in a crumpled heap. Their bodies were devoid of all color and looked like empty shells

Anzu gasped as the teens fell down. She had never seen anything like it. Honda and Jounouchi tried to shake them awake. Shizuka ran to the phone to call an ambulance.

"Their souls were stolen." Yuugi told the group.

"You're kidding." Mokuba whispered, unable to contemplate something of this magnitude.

"The heart is the keeper of the soul." Yami told Yuugi who told the rest of the gang. "The songs are designed to destroy the heart and lay bare the soul. In moderate amounts with someone you trust, this is a good thing as it creates a strong bond with that person. However, if just anyone can hear your inner thoughts, it destroys the bond between the heart and the soul, causing the soul leaves the body."

"But if that's true," Anzu asked. "Who would want the souls?"

And for once, the spirit was unable to answer.

* * *

Viewing the events from high on Domino Tower, Kinnac smiled. Souls were coming. The Pharaoh could run interference all he wanted but in the end, Kinnac would claim the Pharaoh's throne for his own, taking his rightful place as King. The spirit was a pretender to the throne. Kinnac was the rightful heir, having been ousted long ago in the time of Egypt by the royal family of that time. But, he came back as a lowly musician, charming all by his song. However, the Pharaoh of that time had employed the use of monsters to protect his newly obtained kingdom. Unfortunately for Kinnac, the monsters were not entranced by his music and he was banished to the shadow realm. Now, 5,000 years later, he could have his revenge on the heir of the Pharaoh who banished him.

Once More, with Feeling (part 3)

**Oh Atemu, so you see my ruse**

**But, in the end, you will be paying your dues**

**I will finally take my revenge**

**And all of my pain I will avenge**

**Get ready, Pharaoh. You will be singing the blues**

Kinnac continued to watch the souls being stolen from bodies. It was all falling into place nicely.

As the night was waning into day, the group in the Game Shop was just about ready to finish the evening with well deserved rest. Honda, however, was unable to sleep. He was still thinking about that kiss and that song. It was disturbing to think that a guy that he considered a friend had a crush on him. He would have never guessed for the life of him. Honda and Otogi's relationship wasn't going to be the same again. It bothered him that they were unable to go back to what used to be. Now that the feelings were out in the open, Honda _could_ ignore what happened and probably try to return to a sense of normality. However, most likely, that would cause a bigger rift between the two. He _could_ reject him outright but then again, he didn't want to cause pain to a friend. He _could_ try to like Otogi as something more than a friend but that would require that he lie to himself and of all things, he couldn't do that.

Honda got up and put on some sneakers and his coat. Perhaps walking outside would help him relax.

Anzu was the first to fall asleep and as she did, she had a dream. She saw the two Yuugis in her dreams, each beckoning her to come to him and him only. The brunette was confused. Which Yuugi was the real Yuugi? Was it that sweet, almost boyish Yuugi? Or was it the confident and King of Games Yuugi?

Who are you?

/Anzu/

**Whenever I see you, I always wondered**

**Who you really are**

**Why must there be two sides to you?**

**Please tell me. I must know**

**I've known you for a long time.**

**I thought I had you figured out**

**Then you show me something I've never seen**

**And I am so confused**

**Who are you?**

**Who is the one staring back at me?**

**Tell me please. That's all I ask.**

**Who is the boy that I love?**

**Whenever I hear you, I always think**

**Which of you is the real you?**

**The two of you are like night and day**

**And I don't know what to do?**

**Why must I feel this way?**

**Why can't I just choose?**

**Is it that I'm afraid…**

**To make the wrong choice**

**Who are you?**

**Who is the one staring back at me?**

**Tell me please. That's all I ask.**

**Who is the boy that I love?

* * *

  
**

She felt that her song was touching both of the Yuugis and it felt like the two of them were both heading towards her. And in her heart she felt that the one who came to her first was the real Yuugi.

In that instant, she woke up, disappointed in the fact that the dream ended before she could figure out who was the real Yuugi. It really wasn't fair. She looked around for the time. Taking out cell phone revealed that the time was 6:12. Still feeling sleepy, Anzu closed her eyes, soon drifting back into slumber.

* * *

Seto was getting ready for work in his room. As he was putting on his pants, the CEO remembered his song. He was perturbed by the fact that he sang a song. Not only that, it was unbidden by the teen. It didn't make sense. Of all people, Kaiba Seto was not one to sing. He never sang in the shower or along with the radio. In fact, if Seto had not broken into song that one time, he would have thought that he couldn't sing. The song was like there were harmonies and everything was rhyming and stuff. It made him feel like there were only three walls around him, like there was a wall missing, a fourth wall. No, that was ridiculous. He wouldn't allow himself to be bothered by this. It was a one-time thing. That's it.

As he put on his blazer and tie, he thought he heard something coming from downstairs. When Seto went to investigate, he saw his staff doing, in what could only be described as dance-cleaning. Which is to say that they were cleaning but it looked like a dance. There was no response to the scene before him. Seto thought it was best just to walk out of his house right now and go to work. Yes, for the sake of his sanity, perhaps that would be best.

As Seto was driving to work, he mused on what had transpired last night. Mokuba was taking part of some sort of ritual. It bothered him. He didn't want his brother believing in that nonsense. And yet, he didn't want to take him away from the group because Mokuba had made some friends there. Seto hated the magic talks. It was always "Millennium items" this and "Shadow Games" that. For Seto, magic was the unintelligent mind's way of contemplating the universe. For people such as himself, there was a logical explanation for everything. At this point, he didn't know what would compel people to sing but there had to be a cause. This he knew. There is no such thing as magic.

* * *

It was unusual for Jounouchi to be the first one up but to have it happen a second day was just weird. The blond didn't know why he was the first one to wake up. Usually, he would sleep in till noon, especially if there was no school or responsibilities that required him to awaken at this hour. The sun was still creeping across the horizon.

After watching what happened to those teens last night, Jounouchi was wary about singing. Sure, at first it was fun but seeing the consequences for such action was downright frightening. He didn't want that happening to him or his friends. But he still felt like he had to sing.

Thinking about singing reminded him of the song he sang about Kaiba last night. He didn't expect Anzu to be around when he did. It was alarming that she could hear his heart through song. And though the blond knew that the dancer would clandestine about his feelings, it still did not feel good to have it in the open. What if it were Kaiba who heard his longing? From what he could glean in their relationship, if one could call it that, there was no fertile ground for the seeds of love to blossom. It was all quicksand… scratch that, it was a black hole. And Jounouchi knew that, in reality, Kaiba would never feel the same way about him like the blond felt about him.

That's why it was necessary to get rid of the songs so he could keep his feelings a secret. Better to believe and hope for that _one day_ then to have it revealed and destroy that hope.

* * *

Yami, who had no need for sleep, was busy working on how to counter the singing spell. Most likely, it would require having to find the one who was the source of the songs. Jounouchi may have summoned it to this world but, for it to maintain its hold on reality, there had to be a source where the spell originated. Finding that may be the key to saving everyone, including those souls who were already lost. A tracking spell may be the best way to go about this.

The entire gang got up at about 10 o'clock and they were in no mood to sing. That was good considering what occurred to those teenagers last night. No one wanted that to happen to them. But they had no way to stop it. Unless the spirit in the Millennium Puzzle had any clue as to how to find the source, they were essentially stuck.

Yuugi felt the weight of everyone's eyes on him and he felt nervous. He knew why they were looking at him. He was the only one who could communicate with the Spirit and they figured that he would be the one to tell them what to do. The amethyst-eyed teenager felt as if his body was not his own but it belonged to that nameless Pharaoh. To say that didn't hurt would be a lie. He didn't like that but there was nothing he could do. His thoughts turned to Anzu. Did she think of him as Yuugi or the spirit?

As he was musing, the Spirit of the Millennium Puzzle called to him inside his head. "Aibou, I think I have a tracking spell working." The spirit told him.

"Really? Is there anything we can do?" Yuugi asked.

"Well, there seems to be multiple pools of magical activity around the city of Domino. If we can find out which one is the source, then we can probably stop it."

Yuugi conveyed that to the group, his heart prickling as he did so.

"And what happens when we find the source?" Jounouchi asked. He felt as if the singing was all his fault. After all, he was the one who wished that life was like a musical and now look what was happening. People are getting hurt by it. Feelings that should have remained hidden are coming out at the worst possible time. It wasn't right. Therefore, the blond swore that he would stop whatever is causing the singing, no matter what.

"Well, it depends on what it is." Yami relayed through Yuugi. "There are many things that could cause singing on this level. It could be witches' magic, demons from the Shadow Realm and anything along that gamut. However, the worst possible cause of this unnatural singing would be the travelling minstrel from the days of Egypt. If he were causing this, then there could be trouble."

"So how do we find the source?" Honda asked. He was a man of action. He didn't want to wait around till some magic spell revealed his innermost secrets. There were so many things that he didn't want to burden the gang with, especially secrets from his yakuza days. Those memories needed to stay hidden in his heart where they belonged.

"Do we have maps around here?" The Spirit asked through Yuugi.

Yuugi responded by going into a storage closet. He looked for the old phone books that he knew were there. Because of his diminutive stature, whenever he helped out behind the register of his grandfather, he would use the phone books to 'grow' a couple of inches to reach the counter. He looked through the pages and found maps of Domino, showing important places of interest. Ripping them out of the books, he put them on the table.

Using Yuugi's body, Yami waved his hands across the maps, transfusing magic onto the papers. The magic caused certain areas of the maps to glow blue. "The blue spots are where we can find the highest concentrations of magic. If we split up in groups of two, we can find out if the source is in one of these areas."

"I'll go with Shizuka-chan." Mokuba called out before anyone else could lay claim to his girlfriend. Shizuka's response was a smile. Of course, he would try to be her partner first.

"Who didn't see that coming?" Honda smirked.

Jounouchi was very quiet during Yami's explanation of the source of the singing. Since he was the one who summoned it to this world, he would be the one to find it. Without even looking at his friends, he took one of the maps and headed out the door.

"Jou-kun" Anzu shouted at his retreating figure. But, by that time, he was already gone.

"I think Jou-kun feels guilty about whatever is happening." Yuugi told her. "He told me that he was the one who noticed the singing."

"But for him to run off like that…" Shizuka muttered, worried about her big brother.

"I guess he really wants to stop this." Yuugi smiled at the strawberry-haired teen, trying to alleviate her worries. She smiled back, still not convinced but feeling a bit better.

"Yuugi" Anzu turned to him. "Do you mind if we pair up?" Yuugi turned to face her. There was something about the way that she was looking at him that made him… well different. The feeling wasn't unpleasant and that was curious. Could it be that she liked him? Or did she like the spirit? All of this was confusing.

"Okay" He responded.

Honda blanched inwardly. If Mokuba and Shizuka were paired up and so were Yuugi and Anzu, that left him and Otogi. He looked at the dice master and noticed that his head was down, perhaps in shame or embarrassment. Maybe he was thinking about yesterday. And that was the last thing that he wanted to remember.

"I suppose you and me are partners." Honda grunted.

"I suppose so." Otogi responded in an even inflection. Such a tone made it impossible to determine what the teen was feeling.

After each group took a map, they split up to find the highest concentration, even though they didn't know for what they were looking.

* * *

Jounouchi's feet took him to a park which happened to be across the street from KaibaCorp's main offices. The blond looked at that ivory tower and thought about him. Of course he would have to choose the magical source that was closest to that guy.

Why did his heart have to like that guy? Sure he was attractive but there was just something about his personality that made Kaiba Seto unapproachable. Jounouchi knew that the blue-eyed teen was capable of the kinder emotions. He saw him playing with Mokuba in the snow. There was a smile on his face. It may have been small but that smile brightened his entire face and made the blond feel all floaty.

But, that was him as a brother. Kaiba Seto's other personality, the one where he was not with his brother, was that of a general asshole. That personality was at odds with everyone in general and Jounouchi Katsuya in specific. For some reason, the blond noticed, Kaiba really went out of his way to make him miserable.

Jounouchi shook his head. It was pointless to think about it. Better to look for that source of magical concentration. He just wished that he knew for what it was that he was looking.

* * *

Kaiba Seto was done with his board meetings and walked out of the building that bore his name. That is to say, it was hard to concentrate when your employees were singing about figures and deals and game ideas when it was starts to rhyme. And it's very disgusting when an overweight fifty-year old sweaty man decides that he wanted to be a belly dancer and shows his stuff, in more ways than one, to the group. Perhaps it would be a good thing to cancel work until whatever is causing this singing finally stops.

The young CEO was actually contemplating that when he saw a familiar tuft of blond hair. It's the mutt. Of course, as if his day couldn't get any stranger. He was truly beginning to hate this cosmic author.

However it was strange. The mutt was alone. Where were his friends and, more importantly, where was his brother? Observing Jounouchi a bit more, he noticed that he had a piece of paper in his hand and he seemed intent on finding something. That was strange to say the least. It was kind of amusing.

He stopped himself there. He was starting to think about those feelings. Jounouchi may be cute but the only thing he wanted from him where things of a carnal nature. There was nothing deeper than that.

As the elder Kaiba thought on that longer, he could feel a tickling in the back of his throat. It was as if there was something that wanted to come out and make itself known. Oh no, he _so_ wasn't singing.

* * *

Honda and Otogi decided to check the downtown suburban section. It was quiet, uncomfortably so. Neither boy had the courage to say anything to each other. However, both were thinking about the event last night after Honda helped Otogi with the boxes in his store.

That damn kiss… each thought. It changed everything. Their friendship wasn't as solidly built as the one Honda Hirito had built with Jounouchi or even like the one he had built with Yuugi. Their friendship was based on amicable coexistence. They were comfortable in each other company. But now, one couldn't call this comfortable. Honda was noticeably stiffer around Otogi and the dice master didn't like it.

"Can we talk?" Otogi asked.

"Wouldn't you rather sing?" Honda retorted, a bit of venom lashing out at the question. It made the dice master bow his head in shame. "Sorry" the yakuza teen apologized curtly.

"I just want to explain what happened yesterday."

"What's there to explain? You confessed your feelings about me through song and then you kissed me. I'm pretty sure that there is very little that needs to be explained."

"What's with the attitude, Honda?"

"How long?" the brunet asked.

"How long have I felt this way? Probably after that incident when you lost your body in that virtual world of Kaiba's."

It was in that moment that Honda grabbed him roughly by his arm. The yakuza teen stared at him with intense eyes that held Otogi's gaze even as he wanted to look away from such eyes. "What is it that you want from me?"

And in that moment, Otogi laughed. What was said wasn't even funny but he couldn't stop laughing. The tension that was building inside of him seeped away with every laugh. "Don't you remember the song at all? I just want your love." He smiled in a way that betrayed the torrent of emotion that he was feeling.

Honda released him quickly and turned away from this strange boy. Taking the map in his hands, he continued looking for this source or whatever. Otogi followed behind him, somewhat relieved that he got his feelings out in the open.

* * *

Yuugi and Anzu chose the shopping district. There were many people around in their own songs and dances. If the situation for removing such a spell wasn't so dire, the two would have enjoyed the sight. There were synchronized sweeping, cops chasing bad guys singing in full baritone, and a host of other strange musical related song and dance.

Anzu looked at Yuugi who was looking at the map. She was trying to remember her dream. The two Yuugis were each running towards her in her dream but which one was the one who she wanted? It confused her so utterly.

Yuugi, on the other hand, was talking to the spirit with whom he shared a body.

"You do realize" the Spirit told him "that this is the perfect time to tell her how you feel."

Yuugi smiled to himself. It wasn't often that the Spirit who called himself Yami gave him advice in something unrelated to Duel Monsters or magics. "But which me is the real me, you or me?" And Yuugi completely confused himself with that question.

"You and I are not the same people. Your heart is not my heart and vice versa." Yami responded. "I can see it. She has feelings for you."

"But what if it is you that she has these feelings for? I couldn't stand it if it was that way." And then Yuugi recanted. "But not that I wouldn't be happy for you guys. That's not it at all." And he started to babble.

Yami smiled sagely. "There is a saying that I heard somewhere. 'Believe in a miracle and they will know your feelings.'" When he said that, Yuugi felt like he had been hugged. It was a comfort that he reveled in and it made him feel better.

"Believe in a miracle, huh?" The young duelist smiled.

Yuugi turned towards Anzu with bubbling confidence. The girl looked at the boy with confusion in her blue eyes. "What is it, Yuugi-kun?"

_Believe in a miracle... believe in a miracle... believe in a miracle_

"I like you, Anzu." Yuugi told with certainty.

That threw the girl for a loop. As she was trying to sort out her own feelings, here was Yuugi, or whom she thought was Yuugi (it was hard to tell sometimes), confessing that he liked her. Well, that answered one question. But now the bigger question was which Yuugi did she like most. She really didn't know what to think.

"Yuugi." Anzu said softly and that made Yuugi worry. "I don't know what to think or say."

Yuugi's hopes for a miracle were deflated. "Oh" was all he could say.

"Don't get me wrong." Anzu tried to correct herself. "I like you but..."

"But?"

"It's like you are two people sometimes. I don't know..." And the girl felt bad. She really did make things complicated.

"I understand." And Yuugi went back to searching for the source. Anzu ran after him.

"Please give me time, Yuugi. Please let me sort my own feelings." She tried to smile to make everything better but the smile didn't reach her eyes.

"I'll wait for your answer." Yuugi told her. However, that bubbling confidence that Yami gave him slowly dissipated.

* * *

Kaiba Seto was observing Jounouchi Katsuya from afar and was confused. It looked like the blond was on some sort of scavenger hunt. Every once in a while, he looked at that piece of paper and then he checked his surroundings. How strange. But then again, the blond was prone to doing some weird things. He guessed that this was because his parents probably dropped him on his head a couple times too many.

Kaiba's phone rang and he answered. It was Mokuba's bodyguard, Izuro. He told the CEO that his brother went out of the store with his girlfriend, holding a piece of paper in his hand. From what the bodyguard could tell, there was no pattern to Mokuba's movement that could determine where he might be going. However, he told the CEO that he was going to follow him.

Kaiba hung up the phone and was now curious. The mutt has a paper in his hand as well. Could they be related? Only one way to find out.... Kaiba strangely thought of something from Henry V at that moment "Once more into the breach, my friends".

Jounouchi looked at the map. It told him that he was in the right place but the area was quite large so tracking the source of the singing was tough. Plus, he didn't want to be here. If it wasn't for the fact that he felt guilty for unleashing, however accidentally it was, this singing beast, he wouldn't be within 100 meters of this place.

Then, what he grudgingly called his Kaiba-senses started tingling. The blond shook his head. Of course the guy has to come over here.

"What's with the paper, mutt?" Kaiba asked.

"My name is not mutt; it is Jounouchi. Get it right."

"This park doesn't allow dogs without a leash." Kaiba sneered. "Where's your leash?"

Jounouchi really didn't have time or the patience for this back and forth. So he ignored him and went back to looking for the source.

"Oh, did I hurt the mutt so badly that he's giving me the silent treatment?" the brunet cooed, pushing all the right buttons for the explosion that he knew was going to happen.

Jounouchi could feel the onsets of a song bubbling in him. And the last thing that he wanted to do was to sing his feelings for his tormentor. "I have better things to do than to screw around with you."

The patented Kaiba-smirk washed across the face of the blue-eyed teen. The blond was going in the direction that he wanted. He leaned in close so that his lips were next to Jounouchi's ears. "Are you sure?" He whispered. "I am sure that you would love to screw."

Jounouchi's face got real hot at that insinuation. He clenched his fist and, in an instant, he took a swing at Kaiba. Kaiba had already anticipated what the blond was going to do and dodged the punch with natural ease and grace.

"What the hell is your problem?" Jounouchi barked. He didn't even bother trying to hide the blush.

Kaiba's smirk grew even wider, if that was even possible. "You're amusing, mutt. All that blushing over one word?" Then it dawned on him. "I see. You have a crush on me."

And that's what pushed Jounouchi over the edge. The song that was building in him exploded from his heart and found its way to his lips.

TRUE MEANING

_A techno club beat, very danceable._

/Katsuya/

(Jounouchi could feel the music pumping and that compelled his legs to dance to its beat.)

**Everyday, you always come to me**

**It's like I can set my watch to you**

**Saying words like mutt to get a rise from me**

**What the hell is wrong with you?**

**Sometimes I really don't understand my heart**

**That it could fall in love with someone like you**

**It's ridiculous that I can't move on**

**Because I know that I won't get what I want from you**

**So tell me, what is this true meaning? **

**Tell me please because I can't stand the way I feel anymore**

**Everything that I ever thought about you**

**It was all a lie... A lie for sure**

(Kaiba could feel the song coming out to respond to Jounouchi. Dammit. There was no stopping this one. The CEO couldn't fight it. His hips responded to the beat and he started dancing as well.)

/Seto/

**You really think that you are more than you are**

**Thinking that you belong up on the top with me**

**Such arrogance disgusts me**

**You're a mutt so act like one**

**Someone like you shouldn't even be close to me**

**And yet I can't leave you alone**

**Why the hell does my heart try to tell my mind**

**That I need you beyond what it should**

**So you want to know this true meaning?**

**You truly shouldn't mean anything to me**

**You're just a passing phase, this I'm sure**

**So dammit, just pass on... pass on**

/Katsuya/

(Jounouchi could feel himself getting angrier, tears of frustration flooding his eyes.)

**Have you even thought what we could be**

**Instead of two we could be one**

**Are you really going to throw away that chance?**

**To finish before we've even begun**

/Seto/

(Kaiba couldn't believe what he was hearing. How insolent of the mutt to think that he would want anything to do with the blond.)

**I don't want you for anything**

**Except what could be beneath the sheets**

**So if you're looking for something deeper**

**You'll find yourself incomplete**

/Katsuya and Seto/

**So why are we looking for true meaning?**

**Nothing good will come of this**

**And so, there is no true meaning**

**....**

And as their song hit the final verse, Jounouchi stumbled on something. Kaiba looked in his direction and found something that made even his eyes go wide.

* * *

Mokuba and Shizuka were probably doing the least amount of work to find this source. Instead, they were enjoying the songs that people were singing. It was funny to find certain people singing. One of the grocers was singing a lullaby to his produce. An elderly woman was doing back flips, using her cane as support. Even kids were doing high-kicks as in a chorus line. Even though Yuugi had stressed the dangers of what could happen should the songs continue, it was really difficult for the two of them to fathom that something so innocuous could really be that bad.

"You know, Mokuba" Shizuka whispered in his ear "We haven't sung a song yet."

"I know, Shizuka. But how does the singing work?" the black-haired kid wondered

"I don't know. But nii-chan said that he sang and he couldn't control it. And when the Spirit-san was casting that spell, he was singing as well." Shizuka put her index finger on her lip as if in thought.

"I guess. But we never sang yet. It's totally unfair." Mokuba looked around and saw people singing as if it was something natural. "Look at everyone else. They are singing like it's nothing."

"Maybe we are trying too hard."

Their mission was almost forgotten until a wind blew and fluttered the map that they were taking to investigate the source. The two decided to get back to what they should be doing.

* * *

The bodyguard known as Izuro was watching the boy whom he was suppose to be guarding. It was tough to watch him and stay hidden all without bringing attention to himself. But it was Kaiba-sama's order. And as long as Kaiba-sama was putting money in his account, he would follow the kid to the ends of the earth.

Don't Worry

/Izuro/

**Don't worry, young Kaiba**

As soon as he sang the first line in his song, he felt a sharp pain in his stomach and saw blood seeping out from it. He turned around and saw an old visage staring back at him. From the look of it, the old man came from a humid climate. His skin was bronzed and wrinkled from his life under the sun. Izuro passed out, falling to the floor as a knife popped out of him when he did.

"Now, now." Kinnac smirked. "I can't have you interfering with my plans, now can I?"

* * *

Mokuba and Shizuka followed the map to where it was leading but they didn't know for what it was that they were looking. For all they knew, it could be something gigantic or something minuscule. And so, the couple decided to start a conversation about their brothers.

"Shizuka, what do you think about my brother?" He asked. There was something about the tone that he used that indicated to the girl that he was serious.

"Kaiba-san?" Shizuka wanted to tell Mokuba the truth. However, her first opinion about the guy was not good because she knew that his brother never had a kind word to say about him. "Well, my brother says he's a horrible jerk that won't leave him alone. But every time I've seen him, he's been okay. I mean, he let us be together even though he doesn't like my brother."

"Do you think that I'm going to be like him?"

"Mokuba is Mokuba and Kaiba-san is Kaiba-san." Shizuka told him. "I mean, sometimes you are like him but you are different. That's why I like you." She giggled a bit. "I'm not making sense, am I?"

Mokuba smiled back. "Nah, you made perfect sense."

Shizuka blushed when she saw Mokuba's brilliant smile. "Okay." She was speechless. "Since we're on the subject, what do you think of my brother?"

Mokuba knew that his girlfriend told him the truth about Nii-sama so it was only fair that he return the favor. "My brother said he was loud and annoying, but I think that he has a big heart."

"You know, those two are like total opposites." She told him laughingly.

"You know what they say. Opposites attract." Mokuba countered by sticking out his tongue. "It's like those two were made for each other."

The song that they wanted to sing started to bubble within them and it exploded out of their mouths.

Made for Each Other

A vaudeville duet.

/Mokuba/

**My brother is cold and stuffy**

**And gets all kinds of huffy**

**Whenever a little thing doesn't go like he planned**

**He tries to stand alone**

**I think I've always known**

**That he really just wants someone to stand where he stands  
**

**But I think that those two were**

**Made for each other**

**It's like an irresistible pull**

**Jounouchi and my brother**

**They say they hate the other**

**But I think that it's just bull**

/Shizuka/

**My brother's quick to get excited**

**And he gets into a lot of fights and**

**He's never one to let even a little thing slide**

**There are times he can be dense**

**Always getting really tense**

**Whenever someone really tries to mess with his pride**

**But I think that those two were**

**Made for each other**

**It's not hard to see the truth**

**There is Seto and my brother**

**They say they hate the other**

**It's like trying to pull out a tooth**

/Mokuba & Shizuka/

**So what's it going to take**

**To get them to see**

**What they have in common**

**Will it take a big confession?**

**Or a one on one digression**

**And maybe, maybe then**

**They will beeeeeeeee**

**Just like you and me

* * *

  
**

Once the song was finished, the two broke into giggles.

"We sang." Shizuka laughed. "We actually started singing. It was amazing."

"It was fun." Mokuba retorted, still laughing about the spontaneous song that the two of them had never practiced but sang like they did. "I don't know what the Spirit-san was talking about. This is great."

Their laughter died instantly when they heard the sound of clapping behind them. The couple turned around and there was a bronzed, wrinkly old man behind them, clapping. "Wonderful song." He smiled. "You two will do nicely."

The old man snapped his fingers and both Mokuba and Shizuka lost consciousness and fell to the ground. He looked at the two carefully. "The boy has the same aura as the priest that followed the Pharaoh and the girl…" Kinnac shook his head. "No matter. This will draw the Pharaoh and his lackeys out." He laughed softly as the machinations of his plans fell into place.

* * *

Oh my gosh. That's a long chapter. And there were so many songs. You'll have to forgive me if they sound a bit off. When I was writing this fic, I had a whole other document dedicated to the songs for each act. And I lost the flash drive it was on. What's worse is that I didn't back it up on my computer. I was so mad that I almost took a bat to destroy it. However, I figured that I'll have to make new ones. Hopefully these will suffice.

The next fic that I am updating is going to be Young Hearts, Run Free. From there, it will be Only in My Dreams, Dearly Beloved and then back to this one. There are only two more acts left to finish and then it will be complete. Hopefully it won't take long to do it.


	5. Act IV

I had this done yesterday but I fell asleep before posting it. That's why I'm a brilliant spazz. Huzzah.

* * *

Act IV:

Mokuba and Shizuka woke up to find themselves with their legs chained. They had no idea where they were except that they were in some sort of dark room. There seemed to be a piano or something similar in the room, leading them to think that they were in a club of some sort. In fact, the air smelled like cigarette smoke and booze. Mokuba couldn't feel the weight of his locket anymore. He vigorously searched his person but couldn't find it anywhere.

All of a sudden, light flashed in their eyes. There before them was the old man. He was dressed quite strangely. He wore a toga and laurels on his head. In his hands was a lyre. As he walked, the old man plucked the strings of the lyre, making beautiful sounds. It was a haunting melody that made the two afraid of what might happen.

"Are you two scared?" Kinnac asked.

The two were so afraid that they couldn't find it in their voices to speak.

"You need not be. I will soon send you to rest."

Kinnac started playing his melody.

Angelic Creation, Namely Light

A rock ballad

/Kinnac/

**Natural Light, Mosaic Light**

**Child of the morning, known as the angel Lucifer**

**Apocalyptic Light, Michael's Light**

**Child of darkness, also androgynous**

**Fiery Light, Heavenly Light**

**Manifesting as the hierarchy of Heavens**

**Illusory Light, Eternal Light**

**Phantasmic Deception, Capricious Birth**

**Hail Nyx, Erebus, Uranus, Thanatos**

(Mokuba and Shizuka started to feel something weird in their bodies. It felt like throwing up but it was much more violent than that.)

**Shining bodies, all of them spherical, gynous**

**Just as if born with every miracle, gynous**

**The pleasure principle, the nirvana principle**

**Death's inevitability, dubbed "The Light"**

**Without having to have lived**

**Phenomenon of mobile life**

**In the cerebral universe**

**Shape of floating life**

**Glory, ephemery, hope for eternity**

**Incomplete returning to the primitive beginnings**

(Mokuba and Shizuka's eyes started to roll up in their heads. Their bodies started shivering as if cold.)

**Male/female, positive/negative are the two parts of me**

**Up/down, left/right are the two parts of me**

**Front/back, Heaven/Earth are the two parts of me**

**Angel and Demon are the two parts of me**

**The center is hollow, hollow, hollow, hollow, hollow, hollow**

Mokuba and Shizuka's mouths opened against their own accord and green mist spewed from it.

"What beautiful souls." Kinnac mused. Kinnac reached out to take the souls but was repelled by some unknown force.

"What the hell?" Kinnac growled.

The green mist that Kinnac called a soul turned blue when he tried to reach out for it. It made him angry.

"Why can't I collect their souls?" He mused. Then his brain came up with the answer. "Could it be that their souls are protected? But why?"

He looked at Mokuba. "Well, that kid is the brother of the High Priest, Set. So that makes sense." Then he looked at Shizuka. "But why is she protected? There is no way that the High Priest's influence could extend that far. She's not his family. In fact, only a familial bond is strong enough to resist a soul stealing technique."

Kinnac looked intently at the girl. "Who the hell are you and who is your family?"

Kinnac scoffed. "Well, I suppose it doesn't matter. I'll get them too."

Kinnac took one last look at Shizuka's near-lifeless face and took off to execute his plan.

* * *

It was a body. Jounouchi and Kaiba were standing over a dead body. But it wasn't like any other dead body he had ever seen. Jounouchi remembered last night when a guy collapsed after singing. The body looked just like that guy. The color was gone from his face. In fact, it was better to say that there was no color. It wasn't even white. It was clear. From the distance that they were standing, they could see right through the skin and see the innards and organs.

"What the hell is this?" Jounouchi whispered, unable to find his voice.

"It's a dead body." Kaiba responded to the whispered question. Although his own voice was calm, inside he was trying to calculate what could make skin react like that. It didn't make sense and that bothered Kaiba. He liked the world to have a logic to it. The clouds move because of the wind. The tide is controlled by the moon. The moon gives off light because it reflects the sun's light, etc. This body confounded his logic. And, to be fair, this wouldn't the first dead body he's seen. Kaiba Seto probably has seen his fair share of bodies. Hell, he was sometimes indirectly the cause of maybe one or two of them. But this was strange.

"I know it's a dead body. But why can we see through its skin?"

Kaiba had no answer to that. "For the time being, we need to call the police. This is their responsibility now."

Jounouchi had to agree.

Unconsciously, Jounouchi shivered. It wasn't because of the could or even because he saw the dead body. It was just, for some reason, there was something wrong in the world. The blond couldn't place it so he let it swim in the back of his mind.

Kaiba finished calling the police and snorted. He wasn't going to sing a witness aria when the police arrived. After the police call, he called Izuro. He wondered what Mokuba is doing right now. As the phone was ringing, Kaiba got impatient. His nose twitched and there was a slight tapping of his feet. Something wasn't right.

"Izuro." Kaiba whispered. "Answer the damn phone."

"Izuro." Jounouchi smiled snarkily. "Is that your boyfriend or something?"

"It would be too bad for you, considering your song."

The blond winced. So he remembered. But, then again, this was Kaiba. He didn't bother looking at the brunet.

Kaiba took apparent joy from Jounouchi sulking. "What's wrong? Does the puppy want a bone?"

Jounouchi looked steamed, about ready to explode. Kaiba just watched him as the blond was pushed more to the edge. It was delicious torture. Kaiba had to admit that the blond was quite amusing.

Jounouchi tried to calm himself. He knew that Kaiba was trying to make him angry and to start a fight. But he wouldn't give that bastard the satisfaction.

It was then that he remembered his current mission. It was to find the source of the singing. Besides the weird dead body, Jounouchi couldn't find anything. But more importantly, he didn't want to sing another duet with this self-righteous bastard. Time to go back to the store.

Kaiba thought it was strange that Jounouchi didn't rise to his taunting and threaten to kick his ass. Even though he knew that he could take the blond in a fight, not having the mutt continue the taunting was weird and intriguing at the same time.

And now the blond was walking away from him. What a guy. He's trying to create a gap between them. Adorable. But Kaiba knew that he could get under Jounouchi's skin. A constant drop of water can inevitably wear down a rock.

As Jounouchi was walking back to the Game Shop, he felt a familiar sense of foreboding. It was Kaiba, no doubt about it. He was following him. "What the hell is your problem, Kaiba?"

"It's just so much fun to tease you."

Jounouchi was about to respond when he felt a sudden pain in his heart. He collapsed to his knees. It felt like someone was trying to rip his soul from him. The blond coughed up blood.

Kaiba's eyes widened. This was unexpected. "Hey, what the hell." Sure it wasn't the most loquacious of responses but a guy coughing up blood right next to you is just something one can't ignore, can they?

As suddenly as the pain came, it subsided. Jounouchi got up from the ground. There was a look in his honey colored eyes that Kaiba couldn't quite place. It was the look of seriousness mingled with determination. What the hell was happening?

"Shizuka." That was the word that came out of the blond's mouth. With that, he ran in the direction of the Game Shop.

Kaiba followed after him. It was like his feet moved of their own accord. Why the hell was he following the blond? Perhaps it had something to do with this bad feeling that was starting to swim inside him. There was something wrong. The bodyguard that he placed to secretly watch over Mokuba was never late with his reports and he always answered the phone when called. So why wasn't he now? Could it be because of a dead battery or something that trivial? Or maybe it was something else.

Kaiba refused to dwell on what he didn't know but what he did. The last report from Izuro was that they were downtown. None of this was making sense. Mokuba was hanging out with the stupid blond and the stupid blond's friends. Why was it that he was heading downtown then?

Instead of thinking, Kaiba decided to take action. He dialed another number on his cell and waited for an answer.

"It's Kaiba. Run a GPS signal from Mokuba's locket and give me his exact location in two minutes. When you find him, have a car pick me up."

For some reason he couldn't fathom, Kaiba grabbed Jounouchi's shoulder.

"Come with me."

The blond was about to protest but there was something in the way that he was grabbed that didn't allow him to protest. He followed Kaiba like the obedient dog that the bastard always claimed he was.

A car came speeding in the direction. It started to slow down as it came towards them. A door opened automatically and Kaiba shoved Jounouchi inside. With the two of them inside the car, it sped off to their destination.

"What's the deal?" Jounouchi asked.

"Something happened to Mokuba. Apparently, he's not answering his phone and the bodyguard who I sent to tail him isn't answering either."

Jounouchi scoffed. "You had a goon follow your brother? What a guy."

Kaiba glared but otherwise said nothing. "Are you that dense? Mokuba was with your sister."

That was the key phrase. Jounouchi's amber eyes widened. Then he looked away. Kaiba noticed the change in the atmosphere. "What's the matter?"

"To tell you the truth, I feel like something awful just happened."

Kaiba scoffed, not wanting to make his own fears known.

* * *

Yuugi and the others returned to the Game Shop. Their search had been unsuccessful. As they recounted their fruitless search for the source of the singing, they noticed that three people haven't returned yet.

"Has anyone seen Jou, Mokuba or Shizuka yet?" Honda asked, immediately worrying about them.

All of them answered in the negative. This caused them to worry.

Yuugi closed his eyes and contacted the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle. "What do you think of this?"

"Perhaps you over-thinking things." Yami tried to cheer him up.

"I guess. But I have this sense that something is wrong."

"I know. Me too. That's why we have to find the source. That way, we can stop everyone from getting hurt"

Yami gave Yuugi some confidence. Yuugi smiled brilliantly. "You're right."

Yuugi opened his eyes and looked at everyone. "Let's believe in them and wait here."

The others agreed, silently praying for their safe return.

* * *

Kaiba and Jounouchi were on site where the GPS signal was originating. But neither could find Mokuba and Shizuka. Kaiba was on the phone shouting. "Are you sure that the signal is coming from here." He yelled, frustrated and nerve-racked.

Jounouchi was looking for something, anything that proved that Mokuba and Shizuka was here and still alright. But there was this gnawing feeling inside him. He tried so desperately to fight it but somewhere, deep inside, the blond knew that something bad had happen to the two of them.

As he was looking for a clue, he noticed a brown, card-shaped object on the ground. He looked to pick it up and noticed that it was a necklace of some type.

"Kaiba." Jounouchi called out him.

Kaiba stopped to look at the blond. There was a frustrated look on his face but that dissipated when he noticed what Jounouchi was holding in his hand. It was Mokuba's locket. He would recognized it anywhere. The brunet walked to the blond quickly and snatched it from his hand.

Kaiba opened the locket and recognized the picture of his younger self and suppressed the torrent of emotions welling inside him. He closed his cell phone and breathed slowly to regain his composure. It wouldn't be a good thing to try and find Mokuba with muddled emotions.

Kaiba's cell phone rang again. Kaiba answered it. The person on the other line spoke only to Kaiba. Jounouchi couldn't hear what the person on the other line was saying. But as the person was speaking, the blond saw Kaiba's sapphire eyes widen.

"He's in the hospital?" Kaiba shouted.

Jounouchi immediately feared the worst.

"I'll want to speak to him immediately. I'll have my driver get me to the hospital."

With that, he closed his phone. He saw Jounouchi walking to him but he ignored him.

"Mokuba is in the hospital?" The blond asked.

"The bodyguard I assigned to Mokuba was put in the hospital. Apparently, he was stabbed."

"I'm going with you." Jounouchi told him.

"No you are not." Kaiba responded.

"He might have information on what happened to my sister."

"If I find her, I'll send her to you." Kaiba told Jounouchi.

Jounouchi grabbed Kaiba roughly. The brunet saw an intensity in the blond's amber eyes. It shone like fire. For the first time since their one-sided rivalry, Kaiba wondered if Jounouchi was going to hit him. Of course, Jounouchi always threatened that on a daily basis but this is the first time that Kaiba felt anything close to worry. He was worried about his sister. He understood that.

"Threaten me all you want. I'm not taking you. Finding my brother is my only priority." Kaiba brushed off Jounouchi's hands... or at least tried to do so. But the blond's grip was firm.

"I don't care that you don't love me." Jounouchi's hands shook as he did that. "I can live with that. But I will not let you put me on the sidelines while my sister is in danger. I will not lose her again. I will not let you put her on the line."

Kaiba looked at Jounouchi with regard to his situation. He understood the need to do something, anything to save what one deems is precious. Kaiba admired that quality in the blond above all his others. Kaiba sighed and took Jounouchi's hands in his own. Jounouchi blushed, which was unusual considering the situation.

All of a sudden, Kaiba threw Jounouchi to the ground. "You'd get in my way. I won't let you put my brother in danger."

With that, Kaiba walked to his car, leaving a tearful Jounouchi on the cold ground. Kaiba stepped inside and closed the door behind him. "I'll find your sister for you as well. Don't you worry."

As the car pulled away, Jounouchi looked in the direction of the departing vehicle. "Damn you, Kaiba." He shouted while sobbing. He didn't know what hurt more: that his sister was in danger or that Kaiba rejected his help. Jounouchi ran in the direction of the Game Shop, desperate to get something that would help him find his sister.

* * *

Kaiba's car reached the hospital in under 5 minutes. He walked quickly to the information desk and asked for Izuro. The receptionist directed him to where he was staying. As Kaiba strode to the room, he was stopped by the doctor who treated his bodyguard.

The doctor told him that Izuro was stabbed by a knife laced with a strange poison. It wouldn't kill him because it didn't pierce any vital organs or severed any arteries or major veins. However, there was a paralyzing agent in the poison that left him bedridden until it made its course through the body.

Kaiba nodded and asked if his bodyguard could talk. The doctor answered him in the affirmative.

Kaiba stepped in and approached his bodyguard. A respirator was attached to his face and a dialysis machine was hooked on one of his veins.

Izuro looked at his boss with sorrowful eyes. "My deepest apologies." The bodyguard breathed.

"What happened?" Kaiba asked.

"I was watching master Mokuba from a distance, just like you asked when suddenly, a guy appeared behind me. He said something about interfering with his plans and then he stabbed me. Or maybe he stabbed me and then said that. I don't remember."

"Aren't you trained to protected against attacks from behind?"

"I am, sir. But this guy didn't make a sound. It was like one moment he wasn't there and the next, he was."

Kaiba scoffed in his mind. He knew what Izuro was trying to say. Magic. How ludicrous. Before Kaiba could ask another question, Izuro slipped into sleep. The CEO could ask no more questions now.

Kaiba growled due to his lack of information. He stomped out of the hospital.

* * *

Kinnac's preparations were complete. He started to strum his lyre. As the music started to play, magic flowed from the instrument. His message will soon be conveyed.

Jounouchi was right in front of the Game Shop. The sun was about to go down. He saw Honda's motorcycle in front of the Shop, which meant that Honda was in the shop. Suddenly there was a light that started to appear in front of him. Jounouchi felt fear when he saw this. Instinctively he knew that this was connected to his sister's disappearance.

Yuugi and the others were waiting nervously for Jounouchi, Shizuka and Mokuba to return when suddenly a light appeared without warning. Yuugi switched to the ancient Pharaoh who called himself Yami. This was now his situation.

Kaiba had called a chopper to pick him up from the hospital. He needed to backtrack where Mokuba had been and calculate where someone would take him. That would be the best option for now. Kaiba assumed that this was a kidnapping ransom situation and that the person or persons involved will contact him. As he was about to board the chopper, a light appeared in front of him. Kaiba couldn't explain it but he wasn't going to call it magic. Anything but that.

Kinnac smiled. Connection complete.

He spoke through the magic, making sure that his message reached everyone that it needed to reach.

_To the ancient pharaoh, the high priest Set and the boy who released me, I greet you all warmly. I wonder if you are enjoying the hijinks right now, everyone singing their songs and revealing their innermost secrets. I hope you find this rather amusing._

Jounouchi growled. "What the hell did you do, you bastard?"

_Oh blondie, I'm getting my revenge._

Yami and Kaiba's thoughts turned to who could this person be talking to by addressing that person as blondie. They both thought of Jounouchi.

_Back to what I was saying. I have something that belongs to blondie and the high priest. I wonder if you can guess._

Jounouchi growled. "You bastard. If you hurt her...

"I will make you wish you were dead." Kaiba finished Jounouchi's threat.

Yami and the rest of the group could only guess what this person had until they came up with the solution. "Mokuba and Shizuka." They gasped.

The three could hear the light chuckle.

_Wow. The two of you were in sync at that moment. Are you lovers or something?_

No one responded.

_Oooh. Tough crowd. Well, it seems as though I can't take their souls as I originally planned because they are protected. At least for the moment. And so, I issue a challenge. A duel monsters' challenge, in fact. The pharaoh, however, is my main concern. So the challenge is given to all three of you. You will bring your decks and the priest will bring the devices that calls the monsters into this world._

Kaiba ascertained that when the light was speaking to him to bring the Duel Disks.

_The challenge will be at the Club DV8. Please be there. Oh, and Pharaoh, you better not bring your friends. Otherwise, you will forfeit the competition._

With that, the light vanished. The three who were challenged called out to the light but it was in vain.

* * *

Jounouchi clenched his fists. He will save his sister. But, then he thought of Kaiba. It seems as though he was coming. The thought of it filled him with something that wasn't love, hate or anything he had ever felt before. He couldn't place it. Perhaps it was dread. The blond was worried that something might happen to them

_No, I won't let that happen_, he thought to himself.

Patting his pocket, he felt that his deck was on him and so, he was ready. He saw Honda's bike in front of him. Honda would forgive him this later but he might get hit before then. That was fine. Honda would understand.

* * *

Yami sighed. It seemed as though the person who caused the singing was after him. He figured as much.

"What are you going to do?" Anzu asked him. She was worried. She was still getting used to the feeling that Yuugi confessed to liking her. But how did she feel? She didn't want him to go but she knew that he would.

Before Yami could answer, Yuugi took over their body. "I'm going to challenge him and make him stop the singing."

As soon as Yuugi gave his answer, the gang heard screeching wheels outside. Honda recognized it as his motorcycle. He ran outside to see a familiar tuff of blond hair on his bike, riding off into the distance. It was Jounouchi. Apparently he took his bike which means that he knows about his sister.

"I'll go with you." Anzu told him

"Me too." Otogi joined in.

"We'll cheer you and Jou on." Honda chimed in as well.

Yuugi shook his head. "I don't want you going with me." With that, he got up from his seat and started to walk out the door.

Anzu grabbed Yuugi's arm. There were tears swelling in her cerulean eyes. "Please."

Yuugi gently put his hand on her face and caressed her cheek. "Don't worry. I'll come back." He smiled before disengaging Anzu's arm and walking out the door, closing it behind her.

Anzu felt the pain of loss already.

* * *

Kaiba told the pilot to take him to Club DV8. The brunet knew that his deck was on him. He would never leave it at home where someone could take it. He also knew that the had a bunch of Duel Disks on the choppers.

But that wasn't the problem. The problem was that he would have to take the challenge with the mutt and the midget. He didn't like it. He didn't want them to interfere with him saving his brother.

His thoughts turned to Jounouchi.

_You know, you'd be a lot more fun to hang around if you didn't have that stick up your ass. _

That's what he said to him. For some reason, that bothered him now. In the wake of his brother's kidnapping, Jounouchi was someone who understood what he was going through. In fact, there was something about the blond that irked him, stoked him, challenged him. The blond was a fire and Kaiba started to realize the blond's value to him. Why now?

Perhaps Kaiba realized that this could be a trap. They could be walking to their deaths. For that reason, that unnerved him.

"No". he thought. "I can handle anything. I will save my brother."

He thought to Jounouchi again. The thought of the blond dying or having something happen to that sister of his was something he couldn't allow. He couldn't stop thinking about it. As he flew to Club DV8, Kaiba couldn't help but burst into song

Walk Through the Fire

/Seto/

**I touch the fire and it freeze me**

**I look into it and it's black**

**Why can't I feel? My skin should crack and peel**

**I want the fire back**

(Kaiba's thoughts turned to Jounouchi.)

**And through the smoke, he calls to me**

**To love him like a burning flame**

**To play that part, or maybe break his heart**

**To me, it's all the same**

**So I will walk through the fire**

**'Cause where else can I turn?**

**I will walk through the fire and let it...**

(As Jounouchi was riding towards Club DV8, he felt the onset of a song coming. He didn't have the concentration to prevent it and ride to the Tower so he let it happen.)

/Katsuya/

**The torch I bear is scorching me**

**My love of Kaiba has me down**

**The more I try, the more he does deny**

**And that just makes me frown**

**But still I'll walk through the fire**

**I guess I'll never learn**

**And I will walk through the fire and let it...**

(Anzu, Honda and Otogi, worried about Jou and Yuugi's well being, allowed their worries to be set to music.)

/Anzu/

**What's this feeling coursing through me?**

**Can I be in love with Yuugi?**

**Is this why that I feel so much fear?**

/Hirito/

**What if those two can't defeat it?**

/Ryuji/

**Dummy, have you seen them eat it?**

**Anyways, why are we standing here?**

/Anzu, Hirito and Ryuji/

**Our hearts aflamed**

**We'll go cheer on the King of Games**

**And we will walk through the fire...**

(Yuugi was running down a desolate road, infused with magic from the spirit inside the Millennium Puzzle. Everything was moving like a blur as a song started to well up inside him)

/Yuugi/

**So once again, my cross I bear**

**Off I go to save the world**

**But all this pain, all of it is in vain**

**If I can't get the girl**

(Kinnac now had all of their hearts connected. It was now going to be easier to take their souls later.)

/Anzu/

**How can we stop all this madness?**

/Kinnac/

**So one by one, they come to me**

/Hirito/

**Maybe if we use all our fists**

/Kinnac/

**The glaring redness as their guide.**

/Katsuya/

**Why does everything just go awry**

/Ryuji/

**Can things go back the way they were**

/Kinnac/

**Was maligned**

/Hirito/

**I think this line's mostly filler**

/Kinnac/

**Now four souls intertwine**

/Seto/

**I still don't know the reason why**

/Kinnac/

**And I'll have what's inside**

/Seto, Katsuya/

**But these endless days are finally ending in a blaze**

/All/

**And we are caught in the fire**

**The point of no return**

**And we will walk through the fire**

**And let it burn....**

(Kaiba's chopper was in sight of Club DV8. He could see a skylight installed on the building. It was perfect for his entrance. After throwing down a rope ladder that the chopper had equipped on it, he readied the gun that he carried on him at all times.)

**Let it burn....**

(Jounouchi saw the glass windows of the club. He was going to bust through them with the bike.)

**Let it burn....**

(Yuugi chose the back entrance. Calling on Yami, the teen was given magic to break down the door and whatever magics was protecting it.)

**Let it burn!**

All three of them broke inside the club at the same time, Kaiba through the skylight descending on a rope ladder, Jounouchi and his motorcycle crashed through the window, and Yuugi busted down the back entrance. In front of them were two chained figures and an old man sitting between them, playing a harp. They recognized that person immediately as the one responsible for all of this.

Kinnac smiled. "And so it begins."

* * *

In the song, Walk Through the Fire, Kinnac is singing his own verse in row. He's singing the same song but it's suppose to be in sync with the others singing. So I aligned his verses center and the others are left. That's what up with that.

That's Act IV. There is one more act to go. The thrilling conclusion of Once More, With Feeling. I need to do some research but there will be a big duel in the final act. I am not sure if I am going to update this immediately to finish this story or wait until I get through a cycle of my other stories. We'll see.

Until then,

Sparky Out


End file.
